Population-specific ergonomic design and evaluation of a head-mounted display based on Chinese craniofacial...

Head-mounted displays (HMDs) enable compelling immersive applications but often suffer from poor ergonomics that discourage prolonged wear. This study proposes a user-centered design methodology targeting three critical comfort factors, interface pressure, geometric fit, and thermal microclimate, in an HMD adapted to Chinese craniofacial characteristics and validated in a young adult cohort. An HMD prototype was developed by (i) re-routing load paths away from pressure-sensitive regions, (ii) accommodating a wide spectrum of Chinese craniofacial dimensions, and (iii) incorporating breathable interface materials. Eighteen adult volunteers evaluated the prototype during a standardized mixed-reality task. Outcome measures included muscle activity, virtual-fit deviation distance, microclimate temperature and humidity, as well as subjective comfort ratings. Compared with two commercial benchmarks, the developed prototype elicited significantly lower sternocleidomastoid muscle activation and smaller interface-to-face deviation, indicating improved load distribution and geometric conformity (p < 0.05). Microclimate temperature and humidity showed no significant differences among devices, suggesting that the breathable interface maintained thermal conditions comparable to existing products. Participants nonetheless reported significantly lower fatigue, pressure, ill-fit, and overall discomfort scores for the developed prototype (p < 0.01). These findings demonstrate that the proposed ergonomics-driven approach yields substantial improvements in both objective and subjective comfort and can inform the next generation of HMDs and other head-worn systems.