Ergonomics Laboratory / BioLab

Room 1.45 / 1.46
biolab@folkwang-uni.de
 

Opening hours (during the lecture period):
Mondays: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tuesdays: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wednesdays: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Other times by arrangement

The Ergonomics Laboratory and its integrated BioLab work on an interdisciplinary basis at the interface between experimental interaction design, ergonomics, and biology.

The focus is on the experimental development and implementation of product designs, prototypes, and models in order to make conceptual ideas and usage scenarios tangible and to research them. The lab pays particular attention to publishing and communicating the resulting work through exhibitions and other transfer formats (including Dutch Design Week, Kunsthalle Barmen, and Bundeskunsthalle Bonn).

The lab is equipped with tools for implementing product designs in wood, plastic, and bio-based materials (in addition to the university's other model-making workshops) as well as biology equipment in the Biolab (laminar flow cabinet, incubator, desiccator, microscope, etc.).

Biological principles and design methods are combined in an interdisciplinary manner. Current research and teaching focuses on the experimental development of bio-based materials, food design, and interfaces between biology, ergonomics, and interaction design.
 

Equipment:

• Clean room
workbench •
Autoclave • Microscope with 4K camera
• Platform shaker
• Magnetic stirrer •
Incubator
•
Dehydrator • Distillation
apparatus • Centrifuge
• Precision
balance • Hot
plates • Various
pots •
Various glassware • Various small appliances for mixing / grinding / crushing

• Oven
•
Refrigerator • Freezer
• Deep laboratory sink with catering spray head

• Tools for working with wood, plastic, bio-based materials
• Collection of specialist literature
 

The initial setup of the Ergonomics Laboratory/BioLab was largely financed by funds from the third-party funded project "Sustainability by Design" (SBYD). SBYD is part of the "Innovative University" funding line and is supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Joint Science Conference (GWK).