The document discusses human-motorcycle interaction, focusing on ergonomic issues and rider factors. It highlights the mismatch between rising rider sizes and decreasing bike sizes, poor ergonomics, and the importance of rider comfort and perception. The future of motorcycling includes advanced systems aimed at improving rider experience but raises concerns about increasing cognitive workload and situation awareness.

1. Human-Motorcycle Interaction (HMI):
Issues and research in motorcycle
ergonomics and rider human factors
Dr Alex W Stedmon
alex.stedmon@nottingham.ac.uk
Centre for Motorcycle Ergonomics & Rider Human Factors
Dept of Mechanical, Materials, Manufacturing Engineering (M3)
University of Nottingham

2. Setting the scene at Nottingham
Psychology
Motorcycle
Ergonomics
& Rider Human Factors
Product Engineering
Design

3. One size does NOT fit all!

4. Riders getting bigger – bikes getting smaller!
• Rider anthropometry – ‘larger’ and taller
• 25-54 years = 4.1kg (Dept of Health, 1993)
• motorcyclists tend to be 25mm taller than average
• kit manufacturers report on the size increases too
• Motorbikes product design – smaller, taller and lighter
• slimmed down by 20mm
• ride height increased 55mm since the 80s (styling)
• 1993-2003 bikes have lost around 10-15kg
• Sportsbikes are alienating large riders by being lighter and
small riders by being larger

5. The type of bike dictates who rides it!
• Fitting the person to the task or fitting the task to the
person
• why are we still fitting the rider to the bike?
• bad ergonomics!
• Rider perception is important
• Do they feel too small/big for their bike?
• “I looked like an elephant on a bicycle”
• Larger riders – tourers, giant trailies
• Medium riders – tourers, sports tourers, all trailies, street bikes
• Smaller riders – sports bikes, street bikes small trailies

6. Seeing your elbows – the impact on safety
• Typical complaints
• wrist ache
• neck ache
• can’t see in mirrors
• can’t see the road ahead!
• Comfortable riding position depends on
• type of riding being done
• style of motorbike
• shape of the rider
• Is adjustability the way forward?
• manufacturers just catching onto the idea!
• otherwise it’s after-market kit

7. Motorcycling as an interactive system
Rider
Control inputs Rider perception
handlebars hearing
footrests feeling
seat body
brakes Rider Motorcycle sight
Sensory Sensory
gears Interactive System smell
feedback feedback
Motion forces Wind & road
on road and air headlight bodywork
surface reactions
brakelights indicators Environment
Bike
tyres
• McInally (2003)

8. How hard can it be?
• Cognitive issues
• workload – traffic conditions, filtering, junctions
• situation awareness – traffic lights, junctions
• conspicuousness & vigilance – if the bike stops we come off
• rider fatigue – mental & physical effort
• risk taking behaviour – when/why do riders take chances?
• Environmental issues
• road surface – we’re always looking at it
• we don’t have sun visors!
• weather – tyre warm-up, tyre contact
• temperature – physical and cognitive issues

9. The future of motorcycling
• Advanced systems
• helmet mounted displays (augmented reality?)
• 3D audio
• speech input
• integration of rider aids
• satnav systems
• rider information/communication systems
• entertainment systems
• geo-spatial information for riders
• location based services
• couriers, paramedics, police

10. Rear view helmet systems
• Rider issues
• Do riders need forward and rear vision all the time?
• What about blind-spots
• Are we increasing workload and affecting situation awareness with
this extra information?

11. The ‘Long Way Up!’

12. N
W
E
S

13. The ‘Long Way Up!’ challenge
• Lands End to John O’Groats
• 3 highest mountains in England, Scotland & Wales
• Furthest points NESW on the UK mainland
• Lowest altitude and centre point of UK
• 2,800 miles in 6 riding days
• 466 miles/day (min = 10 miles, max = 650 miles)
• £6,100 raised for charity
• CancerResearchUK & The Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust

14. Our sponsors

17. N
W
E
S

20. NASA-TLX workload ratings
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

21. Body part discomfort ratings

22. 3-way comparison

23. Motorcycle simulator

24. Keeping it real or faking it?

25. Leading the way in motorcycle ergonomics
• Motorcycle simulator
• interactive bike and projection screen
• reconfigurable scenarios
• a UK first
• no other research simulator of its kind
• a World first
• no other motorcycle simulator is using the same
software

26. Triumph Daytona

27. MotorcycleSim

28. MotorcycleSim

29. Thank You!
Dr Alex W Stedmon
alex.stedmon@nottingham.ac.uk