Effects of differences in office chair controls, seat and backrest angle design in relation to tasks

In this study the influence of chair characteristics on comfort, discomfort, adjustment time and seat interface pressure is investigated during VDU and non-VDU tasks: The two investigated office chairs, both designed according to European and Dutch standards are different regarding: 1) seat cushioning and shape, 2) backrest angle and 3) controls...

Aspects of seat modelling for seating comfort analysis

The development of more comfortable seats is an important issue in the automotive industry. However, the development of new car seats is very time consuming and costly since it is typically based on experimental evaluation using prototypes. Computer models of the human-seat interaction could accelerate this process. The objective of this paper...

Numerical prediction of seating position in car seats

Two of the main design objectives for car interiors are comfort and safety. These aspects are both determined by the seating position of the occupant. Seat manufacturers use the SAE Three-Dimensional H-Point Machine™ to measure seating positions to design, audit, and benchmark seats. The seating positions measured with the H-Point Machine form...

Safety restraint systems in heavy truck rollover scenarios

Safety restraint systems have been widely applied in the passenger car industry. The heavy truck industry has followed along, integrating the seat belts in the seat system. The effectiveness of seat belts, in particular in rollover scenarios, was studied for a number of heavy truck rollover scenarios. Driver and passenger in the front seats have...

Numerical human model for impact and seating comfort

This paper presents a detailed numerical model of the human body that can be used to evaluate both safety and comfort aspects of vehicle interiors. The model is based on a combination of rigid body and finite element techniques to provide an optimal combination of computational efficiency and accuracy. All main articulations are implemented and...

Vibration analysis with MADYMO human models

The importance of comfort for the automotive industry is increasing. Car manufacturers use comfort to distinguish their products from their competitors. However, the development and design of a new car seat or interior is very time consuming and expensive. The introduction of computer models of human and seat could accelerate this process. This...