A Methodological Framework for Upper-Limb Comfort Reachability Modeling Using Biomechanical Simulation and Point-Cloud Representation

Abstract

Modeling upper-limb comfort reachability is a fundamental task for ergonomic analysis and human–machine interface layout in transportation systems. Existing approaches often rely on simplified geometric assumptions or static anthropometric rules, limiting their ability to represent the continuous three-dimensional structure of comfort reach space and its variability across individuals. This study proposes a data-driven framework that integrates biomechanical simulation, point-cloud representation, and anthropometric parameterization to construct individualized upper-limb comfort reachability envelopes. An upper-limb musculoskeletal model is established in an open-source simulation platform to represent multi-degree-of-freedom motions of the shoulder, elbow, and wrist. Comfort criteria are defined by constraining joint excursions within specified proportions of physiological ranges. Joint configurations within admissible comfort ranges are sampled, and forward kinematics is applied to compute endpoint positions, generating a three-dimensional point-cloud representation of the comfort reach envelope. The proposed framework enables continuous, scalable, and individualized modeling of comfort reachability, supporting ergonomic assessment and human–machine interface design in transportation systems.

Keywords: Comfort Reachability, Upper-limb Ergonomics, Digital Human Modeling, Transportation Human Factors

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007798