Living the Ergonomics Way

CEBU, Philippines -  Because we’ve been used to the usual uncomfortable kalesa ride in Colon Street, or the bumpy ride on a pedicab towards our homes, or the difficulty in using the kitchen and dining room, we care less.

Yet, there are students who wanted to live an easier, more comfortable and more efficient life. While everything around them remains to be inconvenient, they decide to find ways to achieve such dream.

With such goal in mind, plus the academic touch they learned in school, the 3rd year Industrial Engineering students of the University of San Jose Recoletos beg to make a difference – through ergonomics.

Ergonomics might ring a bell to you, yet little is known about it.

Dr. Denise Anthony Kilong-Kilong, chairman of the USJR Industrial Engineering Department, defines ergonomics as the study of how a workplace or equipment is altered to suit the user’s convenience, thus providing comfort, safety and efficiency.

And thus, not wanting to live the life as it usually is, the IE students decide to live the ergonomics way.

Wonder Pedicab

First project up is the usual ride we take inside villages or subdivisions. It’s an everyday ride and its passengers have been used to its bumps and shocks.

“It’s a local transportation here in Cebu. Bisag usahay dili comfortable ang ride, mosakay na lang gihapon ta. So with this project, we wanted to show that there’s a better pedicab,” said Charles Ruel Novabos, project head.

The pedicab features a baggage compartment on top to secure the belongings, garbage bin, safety belts for the passengers, side mirror and honk for the driver, pedal-powered lights and a shock absorber to lessen the distress.

“We aim to give both the passengers and the driver a smooth and safe ride,” Novabos said.

Wow Calesa

Since the Español times, this ride has marked a legacy among the Filipinos. In Cebu most particularly, we see them along the old streets of Colon and Magallanes.

Yet, like the pedicab, the passengers had learned to care less about how unsafe and inconvenient the calesa ride can be.

The Ergonomic Calesa is three-wheeled, ensuring that the passenger seat remains stable despite how the horse moves. It also has a larger aisle in between, roof extension, bell signal, foamy chairs and garbage bin.

“What we are after is the quality of the ride. With this calesa, not only will the tourists, but also us Cebuanos would want to ride the Calesa as much as we want,” said Gerald Palingkod, project head.

Honeymooners Kitchen Set

Home is where the heart is. And when we find inconvenience right in our own homes, we’ve got nowhere else to go. And so, the third project aims to give a life worth living, just inside our homes.

Meals are prepared in the kitchen. With this ergonomic kitchen, preparing meals is a breeze.

The kitchen set is all-in-one. It has a built-in cabinet with every kitchen utensil safely placed in its own compartment. The height of the sink is measured according to the average height of the person.

“We aim space management. We want to minimize the unnecessary space used,” Wyan Borja, project head said.

Love Dining Set

Meals are served in the dining table, yet the meal won’t be sumptuous if the dining set isn’t right.

The dining table is measured according to the average height of a person, with the corresponding chair. The chair itself has a large back to support the back portion of the body.

“We get to enjoy the meal when we are very comfortable with how we are positioned,” said Eric Molina, project head.

With the Love Dining Table, you will look forward to having meals always.

More than just school requirements, these projects are one step closer to what the students really want to achieve.

As their teacher, Dr. Juvy Malonjao, would say, ergonomics aims to make the daily life convenient. It begins with the mindset that we want something good to happen today.

“With the projects of the students, we learn that with knowledge, design and creativity, there is indeed an alternative that can make life better,” she said.

However, USJR IE admits that the challenge they are facing right now is to prove the worthiness of ergonomics.

Dr. Kilong-Kilong admits that ergonomics isn’t acknowledged well, thus, “we have to let the society see so they can appreciate it, as much as we do”.

After all, we wanted a comfortable, easier and convenient life.

Why not do it, the ergonomics way?