David Feathers

David Feathers

     Dave Feathers conducts human factors/ergonomics research for inclusive design, with a focus on persons with arthritis, and is the founding director of the Cornell ARIA Lab (Arthritis Research for Inclusive Aging).  Research at ARIA aims to assess and improve the products and environments we interact with on a day-to-day basis.

     ARIA uses a combination of traditional and new 3D measurement technologies to assess human-environment and human-product interactions for conceptual and existing designs. At ARIA, these interactions are captured in 3D space over time, and include personal strategies, compensatory behaviors, and use (or non-use) of products or environmental features. Inclusive design at ARIA has five objectives:  

     - capturing and validating 3D measurements of physical interaction

     - gathering diverse interaction data to guide continuous improvement of a space or product use within a space

     - communicating physical interaction to designers, consumers, and researchers, through:

                    - 3D human body measurement

                    - digital human modeling

                    - simulation/modeling of human+product+environment interactions

     - supporting individual strategies by designing for diverse human-environment interactions

     - translating research to address health, well-being, accessibility, and safety issues.  

     Current and recently completed research projects have investigated the usability of portable multitouch devices, multitouch computing for workplace applications, addressing physical access to primary care, and inclusive design for health at home.

Society Membership:
•    Biomedical Engineering Society
•    Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
•    Institute of Ergonomics (UK)
•    International Society for Human Simulation
•    Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA)
•    American Society on Aging

Reviewer:
•    Accident Analysis and Prevention
•    American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
•    Applied Ergonomics
•    Assistive Technology
•    Ergonomics
•    International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics
•    International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics
•    Journal of Environmental Psychology

•    Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment, and Rehabilitation

The Cornell ARIA Lab (Arthritis Research for Inclusive Aging) conducts human factors/ergonomics research for persons with arthritis. This research is used to inform inclusive designs of products and built environments. Current research projects include: 

Inclusive Design to Support the Active Arthritic Hand:

       -  Physical modeling of individuals with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

       -  Dynamic modeling of hand grip and pinch strength.

       -  3D modeling of physical interaction with products.

 Outcome: An international database of measurements and functional modeling to support hand-intensive activities for persons with hand arthritis. 3D and 4D data is used in CAD environments to support designers and engineers as they develop new products and environments for this large and growing population.

DIEM: Improving Daily Interactions for Older Individuals with Arthritis:

-  The Cornell DIEM (Daily Interaction with the Environment Method) is a tool to assess the individual’s home environment, personal functional capacity, and task interaction.

-  Research in the measurement and validation of 3D and 4D measurements of person/environment interactions address physical accessibility and human performance for activities of daily living.

-  Biomechanical modeling of the upper extremity of persons living with chronic pain performing daily activities.

Outcome: Address environmental barriers through intervention research that optimizes human performance for persons with chronic pain from arthritis.

Inclusive Design of Handheld Multitouch Products: Biomechanical Modeling:

-  Physical interaction research on the structural hand and gesturing hand for healthy and arthritic populations. 

-  Current data collection efforts use a quasi-static approach and motion tracking data of the upper extremity to model and simulate multitouch tasks.

Outcome: New methods to understand multi-touch input control and gesture-based commands for domains such as electronic medical charting.

 Physical Access to Healthcare Environments Across the Lifespan:

-  Assessment of healthcare environments for persons with physical disabilities across the lifespan.

Outcome: A sample of environments surveyed, measured, and modeled for three cities in the Northeast United States.

Postdoctoral Fellow- The Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Universal Design at Buffalo. School of Architecture and Planning. University at Buffalo, State University of New York.

Ph.D. Industrial and Systems Engineering. School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. University at Buffalo, State University of New York. Dissertation: Electromechanical Measurement of the Upper Extremity.

M.S.  Industrial and Systems Engineering. School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. University at Buffalo, State University of New York.

M.A.  Anthropology. College of Arts and Sciences. University at Buffalo, State University of New York.

DEA 3520: Inside-Out: Ergonomics I: Anatomy for Design (Spring)- Musculoskeletal anatomy as it relates to ergonomic design of products and spaces. 

DEA 4520: Inside-Out: Ergonomics II: Biomechanics and the Built Environment (Fall)- Musculoskeletal biomechanics as it relates to human interaction with products and spaces.

DEA 6760: Universal Design: Ergonomics and Accessibility (Spring)- Ergonomic research and development for the universal designing of products and processes.