More Objectives Tools for the Integration of Postural Comfort in Automotive Seat Design

This paper is proposed in the context of the joint approach, car manufacturer/supplier, in the search for objectivity in the evaluation of seat comfort with the goal increased user satisfaction and more effective product specifications. Two CAD based tools are presented which permit more objectivity in the prediction of postural seat comfort. The first tool facilitates and makes systematic the application of ergonomics data and models during the early stage of design. The second, applied during the design optimization phase, provides a method of quantifying, and thus optimizing, the postural comfort performance of the seat/interior environment in light of the adjustments proposed for the seat.