The Institute of Ergonomics is primarily active in the research on definition and evaluation of Human Machine Interaction and anthropometric layout of technical systems (cars, software, planes, production facilities and tools). In these areas safety, efficiency of use and user satisfaction in numerous usage scenarios lay a predominant role.

Ergonomic research gains increasing importance facing the current demographic and economic developments, as ergonomic quality and joy of use are important properties for products on globalized markets. This is a fact for consumer products as well as investment products and especially true for the car. Especially automotive research topics proof to be a valuable research paradigm of Ergonomics as a very heterogeneous user group is in interaction with one of the most complex machines in a wide bandwidth of different contexts. Nevertheless requirements of safety, comfort and efficiency have to be met simultaneously. Since 1964, the Institute is offering a variety of lectures for future teachers and upgrades for teachers. These cover basic ergonomic skills, pedagogy and didactics.

The institute was founded in 1962 and led by Prof. Dr. rer. nat. H. Schmidtke to cover the area of “Ergonomics”. In 1993 Prof. Dr. rer. nat. H. Bubb followed Prof. Schmidtke and enlarged the research areas by product ergonomics and human reliability. In 2009 Prof. Dr. phil. Klaus Bengler was named the actual head of department and is leading the institute now covering the range from ergonomics in production to product.

In the same year the institute has further been expanded by specialty division “Sports Equipment and Materials”, lead by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Veit Senner, who is in charge of sports technology. This research division is bridging the gap to sports-, exercise- and health science.

This combination of qualification and research constellation leads to the global uniqueness of the institute that covers a broad variety of human activities with its research from labour via mobility to sports and recreation.

The research staff at the institute is organized in three teams that focus on Anthropometrics/Biomechanics, System Ergonomics and Human Reliability/Cognitive Modelling. These research groups are engaged in basic research and transfer their knowledge in cooperation projects to different applied areas (i.e. Automotive, Aviation, Surveillance, Production and Manufacturing). The staff is interdisciplinary in its structure and networked in interdisciplinary cooperations with other institutes and universities. Projects are funded by research partners as well as by national and international funding organizations.

This question will be answered in this article.