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The Tecnomatix product called Jack isn't just a single virtual guy; it's a software package of, giggles aside, anatomically correct and scalable human figures that can be dropped into virtual environments for "human prototyping." The software is smart enough that you can assign Jack a task, whether it's driving a forklift, stacking tires or moving boxes around inside a space capsule filled with other bodies, and assess his performance to hammer out the human factors issues of your designs. Can he reach the far side of the dashboard? Will he keep bumping into that thing at the end of the counter? Can he see past the C-pillar?
Jack was originally developed in the '80s for NASA, after which he found employment in the U.S. military; now, through a convoluted series of corporate acquisitions, Jack is owned and deployed by Tecnomatix, a branch of Siemens.
Here Ulrich Raschke, Director of Tecnomatix Ergonomics Products, tells you a little about Jack. (And yes, females, there's also a Jill. I'll bet she costs only 75% of what Jack does even though she does the same amount and quality of work.)
Comments
That Tecnomatix guy is cool.
There's a reason Jill is cheaper; when she's supposed to be driving she's yapping on her cell phone and can't figure out how to use to turn signals. She also lacks the ability to parallel park without ramming other vehicles.
The bottom right picture is n't jack , its DELMIA's ergoman but he is still cool