Let's talk about xenoergonomics (ergonomics of non humanoids)

[lurker]

Do you have sophonts in your world whose body plan differs substantially from that of humans? If so, tell me about their tools, furniture, architecture, etc.

The yinrih are quadrupeds with prehensile extremities. Their chairs are perches that they straddle on their belly, with the paws and tail hanging freely. There may be a flat surface below the perch that acts as a desk. They can manipulate objects on this desk with their freely hanging paws or tail. Because they use their hind feet and tail almost as much as their front feet to grasp, they design handleable objects (utensils, hand tools, etc) and controls (buttons, switches etc) to be more tactily distinct so they don’t have to look at what they’re picking up or manipulating.

Since they have to walk on all fours, they make much greater use of pockets to store objects that a human would normally carry. Yinrih talk about the invention of pockets the same way humans talk about the invention of the wheel. Probably the most common realization of this is a backpack that has an opening facing behind them. They use their tail tho open the bag and store or retrieve small objects. Their version of the wallet is a pocket-filled band worn around the right front leg (most yinrih are left handed).

For larger objects that a human would use two hands to carry, the yinrih may use small carts that they pull behind them with their prehensile tail. The tail is strong enough to support their weight, so they can pull up to 70 pounds or so this way. For even bigger stuff, they can use a yoke attached to a larger wagon. They’re their own draft animals.

For computer output they prefer HUD specs (AR goggles) rather than screens, especially for portable applications. That way they can walk and doomscroll at the same time. For input they use chording keyers. They can use just one when portable or as many as four (one in each paw) when stationary. Analog controls are usually actuated by the tail. Input while moving is a bit tricky. They could hobble along on three legs while holding a keyer, they may use patterns of eye blinks (they have several sets of secondary eyelids that filter specific light spectra as well as a pair of primary eyelids), or they may use a motion sensing ring around the tail to enable gesture based input.

They take to microgravity like a duck to water, and most of the solutions mentioned above become moot since they can now float freely and use all five limbs for grasping while moving. Many yinrih, including the missionaries that end up on Earth, choose to live permanently on orbital colonies with no gravity. They give up some creature comforts: space is a bit cramped, good food is more expensive, and the scenery doesn’t change much, but for many it’s worth it.

For writing they use a fragrant ink that they excrete from a writing claw on their front feet. Using a separate writing utensil does not come naturally. They also use their ink as a biometric authentication factor. They can insert their writing claw into a keyhole-like receptacle that samples their ink and confirms their identity, like a fingerprint reader, or combine the inherent factor of the ink with a knowledge factor by tracing a pattern on a surface with their writing claw, like the pattern Lock Screen on android phones.

For firearms, older guns are mounted on a saddle and sit atop the back. You can always tell the real gun nuts because they're the ones with a chunk missing from one ear (you have to duck when firing and use a remote viewfinder to aim). Newer directed energy weapons take the form of remotely operated drones. Suits of powered armor usually have two drone capsules mounted on either side of the spine that can be deployed and fly freely while firing, like the powerups from old scrolling shoot em ups.

I've likely spent the most time thinking about medical hygiene. How do you keep your hands clean when they're also your feet? First of all, healers take drugs to lose their pelt. Shedding and dander are unavoidable issues otherwise. Baldness is a mark of the profession, like a human doctor's lab coat. Under ideal circumstances, a healer will use remotely operated robots, not unlike some of the systems we have IRL. They use paw gauntlets and a tail sheath to control manipulator arms and other things, and they wear a helmet that feeds video, audio and olfactory information from the operating area to the healer who's normally in an adjacent room. Olfactory relays on the equipment send the chemical signals created by ambient odors to the helmet. The helmet pumps the healer's nasal passages with neurogel which stimulates the appropriate chemo-receptors in the nose. The yinrih's sensory perception is more evenly distributed between the five senses. A human relies almost entirely on vision, but a yinrih is just as likely to smell or touch or even taste an object to gain information about it as they are to just look at it.

If a healer isn't in ideal conditions, she (the medical field is almost exclusively female for historical reasons) will have to rely on other methods. Scrupulous paw washing is obvious. Keeping the paws clean while moving is a more difficult matter. A device similar to a walker may be employed, which will itself be vigorously cleaned, or she might stand on a wheeled platform that has a tail bar she can use for balance while reared up on her hind legs. The platform itself can be motorized and moved with tail-actuated switches. In ye olden days an underpayed assistant would wheel it around.

[eldin raigmore]

I have my “space centipedes”, but I haven’t given enough thought to their furniture or houses or clothes(?) or tools etc.
I’ve given thought to their overall shape and their musculature and to the anatomy of their limbs and eyes.
They are in a phylum of “triphibious” animals.
And they’re the best members of the Reptigan Union when it comes to working in space; vacuum and zero-gravity etc.

[lurker]

They are in a phylum of “triphibious” animals.

What makes them "triphibious", can they live in a hard vacuum?

[eldin raigmore]

What makes them "triphibious", ?

The members of each species in that phylum go through three* life-phases.
For instance; aquatic, then land-dwelling, then flying.
Some may have a burrowing phase in place of one of those.
*Like amphibians go through two phases, an aquatic one, then a land-dwelling one. I just replaced “amphi-“ (which means “both”) by “tri-“.

…, can they live in a hard vacuum?

Not exactly; but they can survive an unusually long time in hard vacuum with unusually little damage.

….

They have seven body segments; a head, a tail, and five more in between.
Each of those five has eight limbs; archetypically, four legs and four arms.
Though some of those have evolved into wings, or wing-shields, in some species.
And some have evolved into fins in the aquatic phase of some species.

The head has four pairs of eyes, each of which can see in different spectra.

I’ll try to look up where I’ve written this up on the web, and give you a URL.

[thethief3]

The Catkin of Amayi don't have much different body shape other than a prehensile tail and absurd levels of agility similar to cats but due to innate magic can activate technology made by them remotely from a reasonable distance. Usually they can turn them on and off but more sophisticated operations can be done with the right input and if the technology is designed to work that way. Childproofing such technology isn't easy as Catkin children are designed to communicate with their mothers (and fathers) via the same medium and something like making the signal have to be more sophisticated would mean it's difficult to activate (although it does make it easier to activate the right piece of tech).

Various races of a fictional universe I was thinking of making collaboration can sometimes (depending on individual usually but also on the particular technology being designed for the race) activate "Magitech" remotely in similar ways. For the Kiyoko (also a variety of Catkin) it depends if their "Trace" Magibility (which is sort of like a unique identification tag which can capture thoughts, feelings or information) can be projected through a non Magispace (roughly equivalent to digital space but existing as an underlying dimension) easily. In places where the veil between Magispace and Realspace is thin, (which includes much of the technological infrastructure of any sophisticated/high-tech Kiyoko city) this isn't necessary.

With the Naya their “Bond” Magibility allows them to activate any piece of technology whose Magitrace they share an intimate connection (as per their Magibility) with so mainly things like tools of the trade (in more primitive societies rather than creating Magitraces they usually find one naturally and incorporate it into the design of the tools and one Magienergy rich worlds like Kesa you can say give a spear you crafted the Magitrace of an animal by killing it if you design the spear properly).

With some yet unnamed race their Magibility “Shout” (which allows them to project information across infinite distances to a person or place they are familiar with) can sometimes be used to activate Magitech although this is predicated on the individual having a Magitrace which allows for this.

[lurker]

The Catkin of Amayi don't have much different body shape other than a prehensile tail

Do they use their tail to hold items (I assume so since you describe it as prehensile). Does their furniture account for them having a tail? I'm guessing they have claws given your description. Does that effect how they build and use tools?

[thethief3]

Actually in most cases they would build tools using their magic so hands free however they can grab stuff with their tail although doing so affects their balance (through it usually doesn't make them less balanced then say humans or even elves). I don't know how a chair would differ to accomodate a tail but their clothes (when they wear them it's mostly ceremonial or in cold climates since they have fur) do have holes in them to accomodate the tail.

[Glenn]

[I apologize for the length of what follows; I am trying to work out these details for the first time.]

I recently began listening to the podcast Exolore, hosted by Moiya McTier. In each episode, McTier and three guests take a starting premise and engage in an hour of ad hoc worldbuilding; the results are necessarily superficial, but they sometimes come up with intriguing ideas. I was inspired to try to write a story based on one of their early episodes, "World of Dancing Seals," featuring an Earthlike planet with a more strongly elliptical orbit resulting in greater seasonal variation in heat and light, inhabited by an intelligent aquatic species resembling seals. I am using the world created by the podcast participants as my starting point, while feeling free to make changes and add details of my own. If I actually finish the story and it comes out OK, I may share it with the podcast community.

There is, at least as of yet, no local name for this species, or of the community that forms the setting of the story, so I will simply refer to them as “the People,” which is how I suspect that they would refer to themselves.

The People are an amphibious, but primarily water-dwelling species, adapted to living in the coastal waters of the continental shelf and offshore islands. They are seal-like in appearance, air-breathing and essentially mammalian, with streamlined bodies well-suited for swimming and diving, covered with a layer of insulating blubber and a coat of sleek fur. Their fur comes in a range of colors that vary depending on the population and individual, but are mostly in shades of gray and brown. Males and females are similar in size and appearance. Unlike seals, they are six-limbed creatures, with two pairs of flippers, front and back, used for swimming, and a third pair of manipulating limbs near the front flippers that serve as arms and hands, permitting them to carry objects and make tools. When not in use, the arms are normally tucked against the body while swimming, so as not to interfere with the movement of the flippers. (My wife suggested that the arms could be either tucked into a pouch on the body when not in use, or pressed against the front flippers. I was initially leaning toward the latter solution, but the former is also possible, or the arms could simply be tucked against the chest; any thoughts?) They have large eyes, well-adapted to seeing in dim light, either above or below the water, ears likewise adapted to detect sound in both environments, and a muzzle with whiskers that can be used either to detect objects by touch, or to sense the movements of water currents. They have a decent sense of smell in air, but do not make use of it under water, as they keep their nostrils sealed while swimming.

I have devoted some thought to their locomotion, especially while swimming, compared to Earthly pinnipeds. On Earth, sea lions and fur seals propel themselves through the water with their front flippers, using their rear flippers as stabilizers; on land, they can use all four flippers to walk, albeit with difficulty. “True” seals, on the other hand, propel themselves using their rear flippers and lower body, using their front flippers to steer; they are unable to stand on land, and move instead by sliding or bumping along on their stomachs, in some cases pulling themselves with their foreflippers. Walruses combine elements of the other two groups: they propel themselves in the water using their hind flippers, but walk on all four flippers on land. I knew that I wanted the People to be able to move around on land, as they collect resources from the shoreline and coastal areas near the sea, so they can definitely “walk” on their flippers. I had wanted them to propel themselves in the water using their hind flippers, like true seals, but now think that a sea lion-like locomotion using the front flippers may work better.

I have not thought deeply about their language (since the story will be from the point of view of one of the People, any dialogue will be rendered in English). They have spoken languages that they use to communicate, which probably sound to humans like barking and growling (a bit like lurker’s Commonthroat), as well as gestures and sign language; the latter are often used for communication between groups that do not share a common spoken language. Below the water, they may use sound for signaling, as well as body language and other symbols such as blowing bubbles. They do not, as far as I am aware, have any writing systems, but some groups make use of visual symbols and symbolic objects.

The bulk of their diet consists of fish and shellfish, but I think that they may be at least partially omnivorous, consuming certain species of seaweed and marine vegetation, as well as some edible plants and fruits gathered on land. They do not practice agriculture (or aquaculture) as such, but they follow the movements of schools of fish, catching them by hand (or rather, tooth) or with nets and traps, and they shape the sea bottom in coastal environments to promote the habitat of desirable food species. (One of the podcast guests raised the idea of their transplanting coral that have a symbiotic relationship with the fish to be harvested; I think that they may have been thinking about something similar to the relationship between anemones and clownfish.) I am doubtful about the prospect of animal domestication, although I have recently had the idea of their taming other marine mammals; the idea of semi-trained schools of dolphins (or dolphin equivalents) used for hunting and transportation is tempting, but probably a step too far (jumping the non-shark, so to speak).

Their material technology is relatively simple; they make tools of stone, bone, and shell (and perhaps wood on land), make ropes, nets, and holding bags from a strong species of kelp, and weave baskets from the stems and branches of land plants. (I am not sure whether they make use of animal hides and/or fish skins; I am fairly sure that they have little or no knowledge of fire.) The pod of the People (community, or tribe) that I am focusing on makes their homes in a network of caves in the seaside cliffs, each cave or portion of a cave occupied by an individual or family group. They are better adapted to the cold season, which occupies the better part of the year, when their planet is farther from the sun in its elliptical orbit, than during the shorter hot season (“suntime”), when the temperature increases dramatically and the sun is much brighter. During this time, the People spend less time on shore and seek shelter in the deeper caves, and/or migrate to colder latitudes. They decorate their caves with bioluminescent organisms (which also provide light), kelp, and attractive rocks and shells; during suntime, they also gather flowers and herbs on land, which they bring to their caves and replace periodically. The males of the pod decorate and furnish their caves in the hope of attracting a mate (this idea was inspired on the podcast by bowerbirds, where the males decorate a “bower” to attract a mate). If a couple mates and bears a pup, the cave serves as home to the family until the pup is weaned.

In terms of actual ergonomics, the People’s default posture on land is lying on their stomach, with the foremost portion of the body raised in order to use their hands. (I am not certain how upright this portion is; I had not pictured them as seal-centaurs, but I want them to be able to make and use tools relatively easily.) When working, they use the ground or an object such as a large, flat rock as a level work surface. In their caves, they make oblong piles of seaweed or other plant material to cushion their bodies and serve as beds or sofas. For loads too large to carry in their hands, they weave baskets and bags with a strap looped around their neck or torso, which they carry on their backs; smaller loads may be carried against their chests or on their shoulders. (For even larger loads, they can work together to move large objects or carry things in groups, although I am still trying to picture the details; at least on land, they may make use of levers and/or rollers. One image that came to mind is that of a number of the People using their hands to carry a long pole between them, perhaps with other loads attached, while using their flippers to walk and/or swim.)

Once again, I apologize for the length of this post, especially since only a small portion of it deals with xenoergonomics as such. (Perhaps it should have been a separate thread, but I do not think the material is developed enough for that.) I need to think further on the topic of ergonomics; In particular, I clearly need to think more about what kind of tools the People use, and how they use them. Still, I found writing this to be helpful in terms of setting out my thoughts, and I hope that some people find it interesting.

[lurker]

Good stuff all around. Your stone-age seal aliens remind me of the Hrossa from Out of the Silent Planet, although the Hrossa are more terrestrial and had mustelid as well as pinniped features.

A book I read on designing planets for sci-fi worldbuilding made a big deal out of having an oxygen atmosphere so fire could be discovered and the availability of workable metals as prerequisites for technological advancement. You may not be concerned with such things, but I wonder these sealiens couldn't harness some other exothermic process that works underwater. Not sure if fire is more important as an oxidizer or as a source of heat and light.

I'm very curious how their manipulating limbs would look.

Since they're at a pre-neolithic tech level (you describe them as possibly not having agriculture) that puts an extra constraint on how they make their tools. I do a lot of handwaving by dint of the yinrih being at Kardashev level II, and seldom work through how they progress from the days when they were living in trees. The only non electronic tech I've given any thought to besides clothing and furniture is their bicycles, which use a perch as described in the OP, but have a tray to keep their tail out of the way of the rear wheel. There are two sets of handle/peddles (pawdles?) that they grip with their front and rear paws. Changing gears is done by a tail-actuated lever.

Don't worry about the length of the post. I often don't come up with particular details until I'm writing these posts myself.

[Glenn]

A greatly delayed response to the post above; this was my first chance to get around to posting myself.

Good stuff all around.

Thank you very much for your kind words! I was a bit nervous about posting my thoughts, since they were still quite fresh, but I did want to share them.

Your stone-age seal aliens remind me of the Hrossa from Out of the Silent Planet, although the Hrossa are more terrestrial and had mustelid as well as pinniped features.

The similarity to the hrossa was not intentional, but I noticed it as well.

A book I read on designing planets for sci-fi worldbuilding made a big deal out of having an oxygen atmosphere so fire could be discovered and the availability of workable metals as prerequisites for technological advancement. You may not be concerned with such things, but I wonder these sealiens couldn't harness some other exothermic process that works underwater. Not sure if fire is more important as an oxidizer or as a source of heat and light.

I'm not sure about this, but I want to thank you for coining the term "sealiens"; I might just borrow it.

I'm very curious how their manipulating limbs would look.

As am I - hence my speculation above as to their structure, and how to ensure that they do not interfere with swimming when they are not needed. I envision them as loosely reminiscent of humanoid arms and hands, but I am unsure how to incorporate that into a seal-like body.

Since they're at a pre-neolithic tech level (you describe them as possibly not having agriculture) that puts an extra constraint on how they make their tools.

I have gone back and forth as to the extent to which the People might have mastered some form of agriculture and/or aquaculture; regardless, I know that I want their material culture to be relatively simple.

Once again, I apologize for the delay, but thank you again for your feedback!