Objective and subjective evaluation of a new airplane seat with an optimally pre-shaped foam support.

Abstract

Aircraft seat manufacturers are making efforts to reduce seat weight while continuously increasing seating comfort. To verify if seats with an optimally pre-shaped foam support could improve seating comfort while reducing seat weight. The optimally pre-shaped surface was obtained from a synthesis of 95% of individually optimized compressed seat pan surfaces of a target population. Two new seats were proposed with two different cushions, one slightly softer and the other harder. Nineteen differently sized volunteers tested the two new seats and an existing seat randomly. After an assessment of initial discomfort, participants were instructed to watch a TV series for 50 minutes. A same questionnaire was used to assess both initial and longer-term discomfort. Contact forces and pressure distribution were analysed as well in-chair movements (ICM) during sitting. The two new seats exhibited lower shear, lower peak pressure and larger contact area on the seat pan as well lower number of ICM during the 50 minutes sitting. They also had lower initial overall discomfort, though significant differences between the seats were not found after the long sitting. Properly pre-shaped surface could be used as foam support to reduce the amount of foam while reducing seating discomfort.