Kansei Engineering
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kansei Engineering (Japanese: 感性工学 kansei kougaku, sense engineering) is a method for translating feelings and impressions into product parameters. The method was invented in the 1970s by Professor Mitsuo Nagamachi (Dean of Hiroshima International University). He recognized that companies often want to assess the customer’s impression of their products. Kansei Engineering can "measure" the feelings and shows the relationship to certain product properties. In consequence, products can be designed to bring forward the intended feeling.
The word of Kansei engineering was used for the first time in America by Mazda motor company. The Kansei engineering began with sensory or sensitivity engineering at the starting point. However, current Kansei engineering is the trans-disciplinary engineering that extends over the humanities, social science and natural science. Kansei engineering has a purpose, a structure and a function. Namely, the purpose is realization of rich society, the structure is a network of social elements joined with pipes each other and the function is the mutual recognition between elements and the formation of interrelationship.
Kansei engineering spins and weaves every thing (from an atom to spirit), and makes products and utilizes them. As a results, Kansei engineering makes a rich society full of cultures.
Kansei is the integrated functions of the mind, and various functions exist in during receiving and sending. Filtering, acquiring information, estimating, recognizing, modeling, making relationship, producing, giving information, presenting and etc. are the contents of Kansei.
- An example
- Sports cars can be described with adjectives like sporty, powerful, elegant. But, which parameters influence these impressions? Kansei Engineering can show to what extent product attributes (e.g. the suspension, the gear ratio and the engine power) have an effect on these impressions. Moreover, target values for the mentioned product properties can be derived.
Several success stories contribute to the sound record Kansei Engineering has nowadays in Japanese companies. Mazda used Kansei Engineering in the development of its model Miata (in Europe: MX 5). Now the Miata is the best sold sports coupe in the world. When Sharp introduced a new developed video camcorder having an LCD instead of a conventional ocular, they increased the market share in this segment from 3% to 24%. Even in this case Kansei Engineering identified the customer’s demands on the new product leading to the new concept. A third example showing the wide product range Kansei Engineering is dealing with is Wacoal. This underwear producing company collected Kansei data about the usage of a common brassiere and designed based on this information a new model, which is called “Good-Up Bra”. Their market share topped at 42% on Japanese markets.
[edit] First International Conference on Kansei Engineering & Intelligent Systems (KEIS '06)
More and more scientists and engineers are conscious about the importance of Kansei engineering in society. Kansei Engineering is an important issue for emerging technology, new industries, new lifestyles and new cultures.
The first International Conference on Kansei Engineering & Intelligent Systems (KEIS '06) will be held from August 6- 8, 2006, in New Canaan, CT, Sri Lanka . This conference will act as an international forum for researchers and practitioners interested in the advances in and applications of Kansei Engineering & Intelligent Systems, also including other related research areas. It is an opportunity to present and observe the latest research results and novel ideas in these areas.
