Virtual reconstruction of old implements by rendering and 3D modeling: Ergonomic study

Abstract

Throughout human history, agricultural machinery has been an inseparable part of their socio-cultural evolution, leading to an interconnection of rural knowledge between different cultures and civilizations. This along with both the particular needs of each settlement as knowledge of technology, led to the development of a variety of agricultural plows, each of which performed, perfectly, the mission for which it had been made. In this study a total of three agricultural plows (seeder, moldboard plow and brush cutter), indispensables for the development of any agricultural community, were analyzed through different chrono-archaeological categories in order to find the relationship between technological development and its ergonomic characteristics. The results show how the first farming implements designed and used by humans keep the same basic design principle in different cultures and civilizations that have existed, although the inclusion of small changes to the original design has evolved slowly, but steadily, over time. The use of 3D design software has been very important for this study.

Keywords

• Aperos antiguos
• Diseño ergonómico
• Edad crono-arqueológica
• Diseño 3D