台湾人因工程与设计的回顾与发展

Abstract

“人因工程”启蒙于二次大战，而本国人因工程的开端则是由国科会(现为科技部)于1984年成立的“人因工程推动小组”所开启，并于1992年成立“工业工程学门”。尔后在许多人因前辈的努力下，“中华民国人因工程学会”(Ergonomics society of Taiwan, EST)于1993年在新竹清华大学成立。后鉴于人因工程若结合设计则更能产出实体产品或系统，国科会旋即于2001年将“工业工程学门”下的“人因工程”子学门更名为“人因工程与设计”子学门迄今。自1984年国科会开始推动人因工程以來，“人因工程与设计”子学门每年所提出进行审核的计画案数量，几乎都占工业工程领域子学门的最多数。早期研究主题包括人体计测、工作环境测定、中文电脑键盘设计、讯息显示设计、运动生物力学、控制与显示设计等；特别在人体计测，不论教育部、科技部、劳动部、内政部与国防部，接续不断地建立属于“本土”的资料库。此外，“人因工程与设计”与政府各部门的施政息息相关，也相继被业界所器重并应用在产品设计上。近年来为因应数位通讯、云端科技、高龄化、以及工业4.0所带来各项系统的物联网化、大数据分析与智慧化等冲击，使得“人因工程与设计”子学门也不得不面对许多的挑战。虽然“科技”是“设计之本”，但是“人性”却是“设计之始”，当科技随之日新月异之同时，也牵动人类适合从事的作业类型与内心需求层次的挪移，唯不论如何，人类所发展的科技毕竟由“人”所起，也终为“人”所用，故一切终究离不开“人性因素(human factors)”。于此同时，产品由首重功能使用进展至愉悦使用，以至提升到创造独特的高感受时，即不再是单一技术或领域可及的境域，而是融合“感性科技”、“人性设计”与“文化创意”的设计思考，才能营造一个高科技与高感受的人性化工作与生活环境。藉“工业工程与管理”学门成立25周年之际，回顾“人因工程与设计”子学门之历来与发展，并论及未来可能之挑战与变化，盼诸位同好携手并进，为“人因工程与设计”子学门未来更宽广之发展而努力。

In 1984, the National Science Council in Taiwan (e.g., Ministry of Science of Technology) assembled the Human Factors Promotion Committee to promote Human Factors, an empirical science developed in the World War Ⅱ. With great efforts made by a number of pioneers, the Ergonomics Society of Taiwan was successfully established and located in National Tsing Hua University in 1993. In 2001, the Human Factors sub-Division, a research sub-division of National Science Council established in 1992, changed its name to the ＂Human Factors and Design sub-Division＂, for the vision of developing physical products and systems by integrating human factors and design thinking. Since the promotion of Human Factors by the National Science Council in 1984, the number of annual grant applications has always been the greatest among all sub-divisions under the Industrial Engineering Division in National Science Council. The grant applications in the early decades mainly focused on the areas of anthropometry, working environment, the design of Chinese keyboard, information display, biomechanics of sport, the design of control and display, etc. Among the abovementioned areas, anthropometry has been one of the most pronounced that are supported by several governmental agencies, including the Ministry of Education, the National Science Council, the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of the Interior, and Ministry of National Defense. These governmental organizations funded a number of studies to build Taiwanese anthropometric databases. The development of anthropometric databases demonstrates the demands of Human Factors and Design by the government agencies and further benefits industrial applications in their product development process. In recent years, newly developed technologies of digital data communications, cloud storage, and big data analytics and the trend of aging society, smart living, and industrial 4.0 demanded new applications of Human Factors and Design. Even technology drives design, whereas human-centered design is the only way to achieve a good design. Although new technology may change the way how people interact with things and the satisfied level in terms of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Human Factors should continuously play an essential role in directing technology development to fit the human needs. By shifting function-driven to user-driven in the product development, system designers can build a satisfying working and living environment with high- technology. However, this promotion relies on Multi-disciplinary collaboration which may include Kansei engineering, human-centered design, cross-cultural design, etc. For celebrating the milestone of 25 Anniversary, this article reviews highlights of the past 25 years and pinpoints new directions and opportunities for human factors and design. Continuous success is expected with all the contributions from experts, practitioners, researchers, etc. who are interested in Human Factors and Design.