Effects of a Bolster Curvature on an Automobile Seat Fit

Abstract

Vehicle-seat dimensions measured at specific cross-sections have been historically utilized as shape determinants to evaluate a driver’s seat fit. The present study is intended to quantify the relationships between seat fits and the seat dimensions for designing an ergonomic vehicle seat. Eight seat engineers evaluated seat fits for 54 different driver seats based on their expertise. Five seat dimensions were measured at six cross-sectional planes using a custom-built, computerized program. The best-subset-logistic-regression method was employed to model the relationships between the seat fit and the seat dimensions. As a result, significant seat dimensions, such as insert width, bolster height, and/or bolster curvature, on the subjective seat fit (e.g., loose-fit, right-fit, and tight-fit) were quantified. The developed models showed 98% overall classification accuracy throughout the cross-sectional planes. The models promote a digital design process of an automobile seat, which would increase the efficiency of the process and reduce the development costs.