interior design to comfortably fit all drivers in the car
TRANSCRIPT
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:
(517) 256-3180www.erlllc.com