Journal of Automation and Automobile Engineering e-ISSN: 2582-3159 Volume 4 Issue 3 Ergonomic Analysis Study and its Use in Designing of Adjustable Bicycle Handlebars for Kids Prashant V Thorat*, Dr. D.S.More ME Student, Professor Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dr. D.Y. Patil School of Engineering, Charoli Budurk, Pune, Maharashtra, India Email: [email protected] DOI: http://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.3580577 Abstract Bicycle riders’ position is mostly depends on the position of the handlebars, type of handlebars. If the handlebars are at optimum height , then bicycle rider will get more comfort while riding the bicycle whereas if bicycle handlebars are at lower position compared to saddle position, bicycle rider will get more stresses and pain in his upper body parts like hands, neck and mostly in back. For manage discomfort and fatigue, the cyclist may stop to rest or sit erect without holding onto the handlebars while still riding. By not holding the handlebars, the rider has little control over steering and no control over braking or changing gears. A solution is to adjust the handlebars from the lower to higher position and still allow access to the hand controls. This project objective is to design new parts and extension for the handlebar which can be used to adjust the height of the handlebars as per the anthropometric size of the rider. This project mostly targets the age group of 6 to 9 years as those are the age in which spinal cord system is in development stage and kids mostly start using bicycle. Retaining complete control of steering, braking, and changing gears. Pending positive results from structural testing, the expectation is that the availability of these handlebars will add to the enjoyment of cycling for a larger audience with diverse cycling needs. Keywords: Comfort, FEA, Bicycle, Cycling. INTRODUCTION range in price from a few hundred rupees The bicycle is a relatively new device as to several thousand rupees. For this reason, viewed over the history of humankind. The it is understandable that the causal user configuration of the modern bicycle is will limit the number of bicycles to a small credited to John Kemp Starley in 1885 number, such as one or two. Their choice with his introduction of the Rover Safety of style will likely depend on the type of (R. Penn, p. 25). It had a diamond shaped riding that they do most of the time. frame, both wheels were the same size, the rider’s center of gravity was in the middle Bicycle riding is a universal activity of the bicycle, and both feet could touch throughout the world. There are myriad the ground. reasons why the bicycle is so widely used, some of which are transportation, work, Since that time, the bicycle’s popularity exercise, recreation, and competitive has waxed and waned. Currently, the racing. Each of these areas has their bicycle is popular again for recreation, unique attributes, challenges, purposes, fitness, and basic transportation. Along functionality and enjoyment. The scope of with the upsurge of use is the variety of this paper will focus on one style of bicycles from which to choose. Bicycles bicycle and the challenge of rider comfort. 27 Page 27-35 © MAT Journals 2019. All Rights Reserved Journal of Automation and Automobile Engineering e-ISSN: 2582-3159 Volume 4 Issue 3 Riding a bicycle is a purely physical of creative minds adapting it for specific endeavour. As with most physical activity, purposes, there may already be a design the better a person’s physical condition the solution or product on the market that has better they can enjoy the activity. A person addressed the problem that this project is does not need to be in peak physical focused to solve, namely a system that condition to enjoy bike riding; however, allows the rider to change riding positions they may find that their endurance to go quickly in the field to relieve fatigue and distances without discomfort and fatigue riding discomfort. A literature review was will be limited. Pain is a major factor in a conducted to identify existing material on person’s ability to perform most the design of handlebars and their activities—cycling is no different. An elite relationship to bicycle ergonomics. The athlete’s muscles are toned to sustain them purpose for analyzing the literature was to for extended periods of time without identify the parameters used to evaluate measurable discomfort. But the weekend the recognized ergonomic standards of the or occasional rider’s muscles are limited in bicycle industry. The ergonomic the amount of stress that they can endure parameters were used as references for before there is noticeable discomfort. distance and angle deltas from standard handlebars for construction of the The hypothesis of this project is that prototype. bicycle handlebars that have the ability to let the rider change the angle of the torso Shih-Wen Hsiao et al. [1], ―Applying in relationship to the erectness of their riding-posture optimization on bicycle sitting position quickly in the field would frame design‖ (2015). reduce fatigue and add comfort to the riding experience. This project focuses This study proposed a method for three riding positions, classic, city, and measuring the comfortable postures of trekking. For purposes of this paper the bicycle riding and applied the results to trekking configuration is referred to as the bicycle frame design. This method could mountain position. be used to effectively measure the best frame size for riders of different height LITERATURE REVIEW ranges on different bicycle types. In the Literature reviews were conducted to process of conducting the experiment, the discover the fundamentals of bicycle best riding posture was defined in this ergonomics that provide comfort to the study as the most comfortable riding rider. The reviews not only identified the posture the testers found in terms of the generally accepted ergonomic parameters standard riding posture. According to the for comfort, but also the causes for verification after riding, the customized discomfort. Using data gathered from peer frame sizes and common frame sizes reviewed studies, the possibility of raised by this study all met the changing from an aggressive style of requirements from riders of all height handlebars to a more casual style seemed ranges. Based on the frame size data, it plausible. could be inferred that for people of different height ranges, the biggest The bicycle is a universal utility vehicle difference in ideal frame size was in the and has many uses as such commerce, distance from the saddle to the ground, the recreation, physical therapy, competitive second largest difference was in the sports, security patrols, and transportation. distance from the handlebar to the ground, Given the longevity that the bicycle has and the smallest difference was in the been interwoven in society and the number distance from the crank center to the 28 Page 27-35 © MAT Journals 2019. All Rights Reserved Journal of Automation and Automobile Engineering e-ISSN: 2582-3159 Volume 4 Issue 3 ground. Lastly, the experimental results fatigue in upper extremity and low back were further incorporated into the bicycle muscle groups, which could reflect in poor frame design, thus applying the concept of balancing of bicycle while manoeuvring ―fitting an object to the human body‖ to SP bicycle compared to RF and the SU bicycle design and development. The best bicycles. The results also suggest that the riding postures discussed in this study SU bicycle shows evidence of how well were explored via an established concept, the suspension prevents muscular fatigue thus limiting the study results within the and vibration-induced low-back pain. existing bicycle design patterns. These significant differences among the three bicycle designs have been However, centered on this study, a demonstrated by means of MVC test designer could venture outside the before and after cycling and real-time established bicycle designing concept and monitoring of muscle activity during on- produce a creative bicycle type with a road cycling. This study helps to satisfactory degree of riding comfort. understand the variation of muscle activity caused by the mechanical factors of V Balasubramanian et al. [2], ―Muscle bicycle design. These inferences could be Fatigue Based Evaluation of Bicycle considered for ergonomics design of Design‖ (2014). A study of bicycle design bicycle. concluded that riding comfort is related to the postures required for specific Neuss J [3], ―Bike Ergonomics for All configurations. Three bicycle designs were People‖ (2007). When the test subjects used in this study, the rigid frame, the assumed the more erect position of the suspension, and the sport. The handlebars rigid and suspension configurations, there for the sport design are lower than the was less fatigue and discomfort. An saddle. This gives the riders a lower analysis of the spine’s curvature with profile and less aerodynamic drag, relationship to bicycle handlebar however, there is greater downward forces configuration identified plausible causes on the back muscles, the neck, arms and for fatigue (Neuss, 2007). Three areas hands. were the focus of the study, the arms and shoulders, the back muscles, and the crank The findings of this study indicate that or pedal area (see Fig. 6). there is a substantially higher muscular Figure 1: Three important areas to look at in bike ergonomic. 29 Page 27-35 © MAT Journals 2019. All Rights Reserved Journal of Automation and Automobile Engineering e-ISSN: 2582-3159 Volume 4 Issue 3 PROBLEM DEFINITION AND handlebars meet the safety thresholds, OBJECTIVE surveys that focus on the rider’s comfort Problem Statement and demand for this adjustable feature It is not uncommon to encounter several should be administered if the product is to different types of terrain on a riding outing be marketed.