interior design to comfortably fit all drivers in the car

Interior Design to Comfortably Fit All Drivers

in the CAR.November, 2013

October 10, 2013

Wall Street Journal reported that short and tall drivers look for car that fits their body size.

2013 Best

Short Driver

Acura MDX

Mazda 3

VW Passat

Lexus LS, ES, RX

Tall Driver

Kia Optima

Honda Odyssey

Ford Fusion

Nissan Altima

All Drivers

Mercedes S-Class

Subaru Forester

Honda Accord

(Consumer Reports & Edmunds)

Despite new math models, design of interior space still begins in 2010s as in 1950s with data from older vehicles and no seating.

1950s 201

0s

How are driver feelingsabout interior design space “fixed” with no seat in new

vehicle?

Cramped

Stretched

6’4”

4’11”

OEMs define interior space with Oscar’s position, data from

older vehicles, and no seat design.

MirrorSteering WheelPedalSeat ?

“Oscar”

Thus, with Oscar’s position in 2008, engineers build seat for drivers in a

2013 vehicle .

Prototype

Testing

Position

2013

2008

It is little wonder that engineers struggle to maximize fit when

90% of driver’s contact with car

is ignored in interior design space.

Research at Michigan State University in the Ergonomics Research Laboratory (ERL)

uncovered absence of seated drivers in interior design space.

?

MSU research learnedthe seat constrains sitting

postures that control driver’s selection of seat

position in car.

In MSU drive studies, 19 drivers drove 2 hours in production seat and then an ERL seat modified for back postures.

Production seat

ERL seat

ERL’s seat changed interior design space.The average change from production seat was: seat position moved forward 19 mm; steering wheel moved up 3.6°;eye position rose 11 mm and rearward 17 mm.

Modified Seat

Production Seat

The changes with ERL seat design produced 19 mm

more effective seat travel for tall drivers in a car criticized

for lack of space.

ERL then developed model that calculates what driver feels in the

seat!Buick LaCrosse

ERL Small Female Model predicted:Cushion too long

Cushion too wide

Too much support at nose of cushion

Lower Backrest too narrow

Upper backrest too wide

And, illustrates:Steering wheel too close

Toe operates Accelerator

Actual Small female driver says:“cushion- a little long - …head rest- a little hard to move, orientation bad - ... - too close to steering wheel - back rest lateral too low and are pushing my arms”

US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138

4’ 11” Tall

ERL demonstrated that seated

driver models can accurately predict driver fit and comfort

with vehicle data only in CAD.

SAE 2012-01-0450

The same seated driver models can

design a seating package for the car!

US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138

ERL design optimizes seating package to fit all drivers in the

car.1 - Personal Comfort 2 - Equipment & Seat

Cushion

Length

Bolster Pressur

e

Lumbar

Support

Head Restrai

nt

Steering

Wheel

Accelerator

Mirror

Seating Surface on

Frame

Airbag

Joint Angle

sIP

Line of

Sight

Sitting Postur

e

Small drivers want to sit in seat for best vision but not cramped by

steering wheel.

Standing Height = 1492 - 1518mm (4’10¾” - 4’ 11¾”)

US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138

4’11”

Tall drivers may have to slump for headroom but not stretch for

controls.

Standing Height = 1865 - 1914 mm (6’1½” - 6’ 3½”)

US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138

6’3”

Seats have 2 Design Functions that

control driver position in the car.1. Surface that

controls driver postures.

2. Frame that positions seat in vehicle

US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138

Today, OEMs’ “design for fit” depends more upon frame position in older vehicles

than driver position in new vehicle.

Small, Medium & Large Seated drivers should design cars for

fit.

Erect

Neutral

Slumped

“Oscar”

US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138

4’11”

5’9¼”

6’2”

4’11¾”

5’10¼”

6’3½”

4’10¾”

5’8½”

6’1½”

ERL could have improved design in

Pontiac G6 for small and large drivers.2008 Pontiac G6 2013 Comfort Design

4’11”

6’3”

US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138

Comfort Score 7.5/10

Comfort Score 9.1/10

Comfort Score 4.8/10

Comfort Score 7.3/10

ERL starts interior design with seated

drivers and evaluates design in CAD.

Oscar for Regulations

Design Seat &

Evaluate in CADUS Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138

Design Seated Interior

4’11”

5’9”

6’3”

Then, OEM verifies ERL prototype with Oscar & real

drivers before car is manufactured.

Test Prototyp

e

Best for All Drivers

Build prototype & verify design

Production satisfies all

For additional information:

Mac Reynoldsreynolds@erlllc.com

(517) 256-3180www.erlllc.com