Research Through Co-Design (RTC) and Ergonomics

This paper investigates interactions between Ergonomics and the Research Through Co-Design (RTC) theory. The RTC model is based on Control System Theory (CST) and Research Through Design (RTD) which takes on board the nature of co-design as a generator of knowledge according to a research question. The authors investigated the role of the co-design variable in the RTC model as a fundamental link between the RTC theory and Ergonomics. As the main result, the authors simulate a co-design process in order to understand the interaction between humans and the other parts of the system to optimize the overall system performance and the human wellbeing through a democratic, transdisciplinary and participatory design feedback. In conclusion, the RTC can be considered a model for doing research in/as/for ergonomics if the research project considers the application of the co-design process as a neural mechanism.