Determination of Ergonomics for Formula Student Vehicle

Abstract

In recent years, many researches have been launched to investigate car ingress/egress motion and to understand perceived discomfort. But few of them were focused on the influence of specific car design parameters. The aim of this study was to experimentally investigate the influence of the roof height on car ingress/egress motion. 26 young and healthy volunteers of different statures participated in the experiment. An adjustable car mock-up was used, allowing simulating different car configurations. Volunteers were asked to identify two roof heights: 1/ the first roof height Ht1, for which they began to feel discomfort due to roof and 2/ the lowest acceptable roof height Ht2, below which they would not accept for getting in and out. Three different car configurations were tested: a small car, a medium-size car and a minivan. Ingress/egress motions were captured using the optoelectronic Vicon® system, reconstructed and analysed. The results showed that both Ht1 and Ht2 were neither influenced by the car configuration nor by the stature. Only a difference of 45 mm between Ht1 and Ht2 was observed in average. The motion analysis showed that tall volunteers flexed more the trunk than short ones thanks to a larger space available between the steering wheel and the seat. The comparison of the postures when the head passed under the roof showed that only head flexion differed between the roof heights Ht1 and Ht2. The results will be helpful for optimising car design parameters by improving the comfort of the car ingress and egress.