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Is there an optimal height for the CP?
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patrickl:
I'm trying to design an upright cab, but I keep running into the question how heigh things should be placed.

The basic issue is where to place the control panel. When it's too low you have to bend your wrists to press the buttons and use the joystick. At least for me that starts to hurt even after 15 minutes of play. When it is placed too heigh things will look weird.

I assumed to be ergonomical the CP should be placed slightly above the elbows. Just like a computer keyboard is around elbow height and then your forarms slope up on a  5 degree angle. For my height that would put the cab at around 1.25 meters heigh (about 50")  On a regular cab this seems to be 30" to 35" so I seem to end up quite a lot heigher.

For the monitor placement, again if I use the rule for a computer monitor stating that the top of the monitor should be at eye level. For me that's about 1.70m (or 67") add a marquee and some panels and the total height would be 1.95m (77").  Again I seem to end up about 10" heigher than usual.

Using these figures my cab would end up looking something like this:


Apart from "me" looking a tad weird, I guess the cab looks weird too. The CP looks placed disproportionately heigh. A large part of the skinny look effect is caused by the fact that the cab will be 60cm (24") deep instead of the usual 80cm (31"), but still ...

I'm wondering why I end up with these different figures. I played on a Class of 81 MsPac/Galaga cab and indeed I could not play for longer than 15 minutes before my wrists started to hurt.

I wonder:
- Am I holding the buttons and sticks the wrong way (with my wrists extended straight along my forearm)?
- Am I just taller than the people the cabs are designed for? (being 1.85m or about 6 foot tall)?
- Should I just use a stool and lower myself into the cab (problem might be that my knees will the run into the front of the cab)?
Minwah:
Well the top-most part of my CP is 98cm, and the top of monitor is around 150cm or so...

On the very little playtesting I have done on my machine I would say it felt *slightly* low for me standing up -  I am also 6' tall.  I found sitting on a high stool more comfortable, but as I say I have done limited testing so far...

I think basically 'real' cabs were/are not ergonomically designed for 6' adults.  Where you have placed your controls at the right height for you with your arms bent up, most real cabs do have you lean down to the controls.  Imagine a 12 year old kid trying to reach up to your controls...they probably wouldn't even be able to see the screen!

I think you need to find a comprimise between 'real' cab dimensions and your perfect ergonomic cab - bias it towards which is most important to you :)

Edit: just thought I'd add that my cab is ~178cm tall over all.
NoOne=NBA=:
The front of my CP is at 37-1/2", the back is 38-1/2".

I played with the height using magazines to shim a prototype on my kitchen counter until I figured out what height was most comfortable to me.

Unlike the guy in your picture, I tend to bend forward at the waist while playing.
This straightens both wrists, and makes it more comfortable for me to play.
The bottom of the front of my CP is at 30-1/2", but that is set back about an inch from the front of the CP itself.
During my experimentation phase I found that these dimensions were very comfortable both standing, and seated on one of the "kitchen chair" type barstools I have.

I have also tested this CP with my sister's kids, and found they can play it fairly easily.
Their ages range from 5-13.
It's a little high for the 5 year old, but I usually let him stand on the step we have for the bathroom sink, and he does fine.

I've got an Asteroids style cab (where the marquee comes out significantly over the CP).
The bottom of the marquee is at 64-1/2".
The top of the cab is at 75".
This is a little taller than the "real" Asteroids cabinets, but I have a 10" marquee on mine, which forced me to go taller on the overall height.

Your IDEAL dimensions may vary from the dimensions I gave above, but those dimensions are what I found most comfortable while experimenting.
During the experimental phase, I used cardboard to mockup the entire cabinet around a "rolling table" I built as a frame for the lower half of the cabinet.
That let me tweak everything until I got it EXACTLY the way I wanted before committing to wood with the design.
GamingGreg:

--- Quote from: patrickl on March 22, 2004, 05:11:39 pm --- ... I assumed to be ergonomical the CP should be placed slightly above the elbows. Just like a computer keyboard is around elbow height and then your forarms slope up on a  5 degree angle. ...
--- End quote ---

I would assume the opposite.  I believe the CP needs to be slightly below the elbows to be comfortable.

If you are designing this cabinet to be played by just you (or mostly you),  then go with what feels right to you.  Since we all have different body dimensions, what is ergonomic to one, might not be ergonomic to another.  I believe, that most cabinets in the arcades were designed for the average teen or young adult (as that was big demographic or "target audience").  I'm sure they leaned to the smaller end of the scale, so they could include as many people as possible, but not so small that most people would have to hunch way over to play.

You might want to take a trip to the local arcade and find some cabinets that "feel right" to you, and then measure them.
Jakobud:
Take a browse through OSHA's egonomic standards and research information.  You will find all sorts of informational studies on how items and manufactured to fit the average human being.  Here you could find a lot of stuff on the average heights / dimensions of humans and it could tell you ergonomically how to best design the height of your control panel.
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