连杆机构英文文献和中文翻译(11)

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There is a wealth of human factors data available in the literature. Some references are noted in the bibliography. The type of information which might be needed for a machine design problem ranges from dimensions of the human body and their distribu- tion among the population by age and gender, to the ability of the human body to with- stand accelerations in various directions, to typical strengths and force generating abili- ty in various positions. Obviously, if you are designing a device that will be controlled by a human (a grass shortener, perhaps), you need to know how much force the user can exert with hands held in various positions, what the user's reach is, and how much noise the ears can stand without damage. If your device will carry the user on it, you need data on the limits of acceleration which the body can tolerate. Data on all these topics exist. Much of it was developed by the government which regularly tests the ability of military personnel to withstand extreme environmental conditions. Part of the background re- search of any machine design problem should include some investigation of human factors.

1.9 THE ENGINEERING REPORT

Communication of your ideas and results is a very important aspect of engineering. Many engineering students picture themselves in professional practice spending most of their time doing calculations of a nature similar to those they have done as students. Fortunately, this is seldom the case, as it would be very boring. Actually, engineers spend the largest percentage of their time communicating with others, either orally or in writ- ing. Engineers write proposals and technical reports, give presentations, and interact with support personnel and managers. When your design is done, it is usually necessary to present the results to your client, peers, or employer. The usual form of presentation is a formal engineering report. Thus, it is very important for the engineering student to develop his or her communication skills. You may be the cleverest person in the world,

but no one will know that if you cannot communicate your ideas clearly and concisely.

In fact, if you cannot explain what you have done, you probably don't understand it your- self. To give you some experience in this important skill, the design project assignments in later chapters are intended to be written up in formal engineering reports. Informa- tion on the writing of engineering reports can be found in the suggested readings in the bibliography at the end of this chapter.