The paper talks about the known concept of Multivariate anthropometry, a term explained in several other studies. The method consists of creating a family of manikins with a combination of more than one anthropometric variable to broaden, or to accommodate more users in a physical ergonomic analysis scenario. The paper explains how this method was adopted at a truck OEM and how it affects the design aspect of ergonomics. The paper also describes how the usage of such a method would be difficult to achieve before the advent of DHMs, CAD environments. Communicating this working method that is within reach of several industries is a history that is worth being aware of and sharing.

Another section of the paper describes how different DHMs deal with this Multivariate method, and what possibilities are open for the users when they create their families in different software.

The statistical concept of percentile is addressed in the paper, and presents it not as being a surpassed method, but rather as being one important variable of the Multivariate approach.