The Impact of the Seatback Angle on the Appearance of the Driver’s Discomfort

Abstract

Car model, color, design, motor power, driving performance, is just some of the factors that influence the purchase of a new car. However, one of the most important task of vehicle manufactures is driver comfort. In the initial phase of designing a car, a posture of vehicle driver must be carefully considered, because a long-term driving can affect driver performance, especially in an inadequate posture. In this paper, a virtual environment of middle-class car was created. Different angles of the seat back are considered, with the aim of determining the driver body discomfort. Anthropometrics characteristics of different male and female populations were used. The analysis was carried out for two conditions: during driving and resting. Software package Ramsis was used to perform posture analysis of “mannequin” in driving and resting condition. The obtained values of fatigue and discomfort, as body parts discomfort, were different for all kinds of subjects.