Habitat

Habitat

The habitat sector has consolidated its growth, with companies investing in RDI (Research, Development and Innovation) to capture new market shares. Technological innovations are turning the factories in this traditional industry into “smart factories” making smart products. Concepts such as customisation, connectivity, sustainability, environmental awareness and appreciating the user’s input in manufacturing are all guiding research in the sector towards innovative, groundbreaking results that are decisive for success in furniture and domestic environments.

We help respond to these essential challenges

OBJECTIVELY STUDYING SUBJECTIVE RESPONSE

Ergonomics involves adapting products and environs to people. However, when such adaptation is based on human preferences, how should we deal with them from the strictly scientific, technical point of view? Emotional engineering is our attempt to apply mathematics to the subjective relationship between stimulus and response.

AGILE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Traditional companies need to improve their ability to react to new dynamics in the market. There is a great opportunity to be found in the agile development of innovative products and services based on design methods that focus on user experience (UX), introducing non-technological products.

SUPPORT FOR SMALL ENTREPRENEURIAL INITIATIVES

Companies that need RDI often do not yet have the size, the necessary experience or resources to begin their involvement in innovation. Knowledge about the markets, about public institutional support and about the way systems work for evaluation, certification and standardisation of products is essential in backing technological development in small entrepreneurial initiatives.

Our solutions

We help companies in the habitat sector with the following solutions:

Fotografía de técnicos valorando una estancia para Hábitat

R&D

We provide the scientific foundations in terms of human factors and ergonomics so our clients can introduce the latest technology into their products and environments, ensuring the end user is satisfied while optimising the cost-efficiency of the product developments.

The kinds of product we create include mathematical models and algorithms to predict comfort, fatigue and the human body’s reactions, as well as collaborative design applications and solutions to boost companies’ business value propositions.

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Technological consultancy

Based on knowledge acquired, we analyse our clients’ solutions and put forward improvements to redesign them.

We explore the market to ascertain the potential users’ comfort and usability requirements for our clients’ products, creating sketches, prototypes and models for new solutions.

We apply agile methods to get better results and optimise development costs.

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Inspection and testing

We carry out testing tailored to our clients’ needs and to meet regulations, accompanying the clients in the design processes and in improving their products.

Comfort testing. We do static, thermal, dynamic and acoustic testing on components, final products and prototypes.

We also perform tests with users in real or simulated environments to reproduce the context and analyse the resulting experience.

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Training

Whether in-company or in our own facilities, the Instituto de Biomecánica (IBV) gives training in methods, measurement systems and concepts of biomechanics applied to ergonomics and customised product design.

We teach courses tailored to our clients’ needs in close collaboration with a multi-disciplinary team of experts in ergonomics, human factors and user experience.

R&D projects