M. D. Burkhard coauthored, with R. M. Sachs, a 1975 paper describing an anthropometric manikin for acoustics research. Such instruments provide a reproducible physical stand-in for measurements affected by the shape of a listener's head and torso.[ref]
Anthropometric manikin for acoustic research by M. D. Burkhard and R. M. Sachs. Original title, byline and publication record: JASA 58, 214–222, 1975
KEMAR provides the concrete apparatus example. Its documented configurations combine a head and torso with external-ear shapes, canal extensions and ear simulators for testing headphones and related equipment. The manufacturer describes these as approximations to human acoustic properties.[ref]
A microphone alone measures the sound pressure at its position; placing it in a representative physical arrangement changes the experiment to include the effects of that arrangement. Repeatability of a manikin measurement does not imply that its response equals the response of every individual listener. Modern configurations also should not automatically be attributed to the original 1975 instrument.
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