Original scientific paper In this paper, a method for ergonomic analysis of the seating comfort in the driver’s seat for passenger vehicles is presented in two phases. In the first phase, the comfort seating postures of the driver are analyzed considering the comfort angles for the placement of human body and the necessary space for foot controls in vehicles, as well as the ranges of adjustment...

OBJECTIVES This article presents the response of a child-size postmortem human subject using a booster seat in a series of three frontal impact sled tests. METHODS A 54-year-old female cadaver was seated in a booster seat in the rear seat of a buck representing a mid-sized American sedan. Two different restraint systems (conventional belt and pretensioning, force-limiting belt) were used to r...

This paper proposes an emergency locking unit (ELU) for a seat belt retractor which is mounted on the back frame of a vehicle seat. The proposed unit uses a recliner sensor based on a MEMS acceleration sensor and solenoid mechanism. The seat has an upper frame supported to tilt on a lower frame. The retractor in belt in seat (BIS) system is supported by the upper frame. The proposed recliner se...

Motion platforms can be used to provide vestibular cues in a driving simulator, and have been shown to reduce driving speed and acceleration. However, motion platforms are expensive devices, and alternatives for providing motion cues need to be investigated. In independent experiments, the following eight low-cost nonvestibular motion cueing systems were tested by comparing driver performance t...

This study investigated the effects of seat-height settings of wheelchairs with alternating propulsion with both legs. Seven healthy individuals with no orthopedic disease participated. Flexion angles at initial contact (FA-IC) of each joint, range of motion during propulsion period (ROM-PP), and ground reaction force (GRF) were measured using a three dimensional motion capture system and force...

In road traffic accidents, a car-seat and its occupant can be subjected to various crash pulses in the case of a rear impact. This study investigates the influence of crash pulse shape on seat-occupant response and evaluates the corresponding risk of whiplash injury. For this purpose, a rigorously validated seat-occupant system model is used to study different carseat designs and crash pulses. ...

A 22-year-old man died following a side impact blow in an automobile accident. Necropsy showed a large tear in the posterior wall of the aorta approximately 12 mm distal to the insertion of ligamentum arteriosum (Figures 1 and 2). Subadventitial hemorrhage was prominent in the descending thoracic aorta. Th e left pleural space contained large quantities of blood. Traumatic aortic rupture is the...

The objective of this study was to explore the effect of a forward sloping seat on posture and muscular activity of the trunk and lower limbs. To this aim, twelve asymptomatic participants were tested in six conditions varying seat slope (0°, 15° forward) and height (high, medium, low). Angular position of head, trunk and pelvis was assessed with an inertial orientation system, and muscular act...

Seating systems are designed for occupant comfort as well as for affording occupant protection in various crash modes. FMVSS No. 207 specifies seat performance criteria, of which, one requires that a seat back withstand a minimum of 373 Nm moment measured about the seating reference point. The sufficiency of this requirement has been a source of significant debate. Some researchers believe that...

A hybrid system for detecting driver drowsiness was examined by using piezofilm movement sensors integrated into the car seat, seat belt and steering wheel. Statistical associations between increase in the driver drowsiness and the non-invasive and conventional physiological indicators were investigated. Statistically significant associations were established for the analysed physiological indi...