Deflection in Center of Gravity at the Simulated Operations of Cabinet in the Aged

Abstract

The study projected a scenario where the aged handled home furniture in their daily lives. With the furniture designated at 5 different heights for task performance, different aspects of the center of gravity(CG) deflection in the young and the aged were investigated. The following points which should be considered were suggested; (1) The findings indicated that remarkable increases in CG deflection were detected in performing tasks on cabinet as age advanced. The age factor appeared to yield the major effect in all indices measured, whether the drawer was being drawn open or closed. (2) The major effects with age accompanied by significant mutual interactions between age and operation height were established when the drawer was drawn open. (3) In cases where the aged drew open the drawer, the LR deflections with reference to the CG were pronounced. When performing the task especially at greater heights, the deflections in the aged were enlarged, a tendency that was in contrast to the extended LR deflections (cf. at lower heights) in the young, contributing therefore to the increases in CG-DD and CG-DA, accordingly.