CETEM is developing a tool to integrate ergonomics and accessibility into furniture design

CETEM is advancing the development of ErgoFlow, a digital tool designed to help furniture design and manufacturing professionals incorporate ergonomics, accessibility and comfort criteria into their design processes.

ErgoFlow is conceived as a practical solution that combines an evaluation tool with a library of 3D furniture models, facilitating both the assessment of products and the identification and integration of solutions that meet specific ergonomic and accessibility criteria.

The ErgoFlow Evaluation Tool will allow different characteristics of furniture products to be assessed according to ergonomic and accessibility criteria. This will enable designers to identify relevant aspects of their products and use the evaluation results to support decision-making throughout the design process.

The tool is based on the evaluation framework developed by CETEM within the European AccesS project and is designed to facilitate the integration of these criteria from the early stages of product development.

The ErgoFlow Library will complement the evaluation tool by providing access to a collection of 3D furniture models that have been assessed according to ergonomic and accessibility criteria. Designers will be able to explore this collection, download the models and directly incorporate them into their projects or Building Information Modelling (BIM) environments.

Both the Evaluation Tool and the Library will be integrated into the Universal Access Suite, an online platform that will bring together the digital innovations developed within the project to support both accessible and inclusive design and the adaptive and sustainable operation of the built environment.

ErgoFlow is currently in the final stages of the development process and will be available in the coming months. Its launch will provide furniture design and manufacturing professionals with new resources to integrate ergonomic and accessibility criteria into their projects in a more practical way.

ErgoFlow is one of the outcomes developed within the framework of the European AccesS project, which aims to contribute to greater accessibility and inclusion in smart buildings and smart cities. To achieve this, the project combines advanced technologies and innovative solutions, including artificial intelligence (AI), BIM and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), with the aim of creating barrier-free environments, facilitating mobility and promoting more equitable access to essential services and facilities.

The project also develops solutions aimed at the inclusive, adaptive and sustainable operation of the built environment, enabling building operations to be adapted to the needs of their users. This approach also extends to e-mobility and micromobility, with the aim of facilitating more accessible and inclusive transport options.

In this context, ErgoFlow contributes from the field of furniture to the broader vision of AccesS: creating built environments that take into account the diversity of people and their needs, from design through to use and operation.