Positioning of the Mobile Phone to Minimize Driver’s Biomechanical Effort During Navigation: DHM-Based Approach

Abstract

The use of mobile phone as a portable navigation system gained momentum in recent years due to the advancement in GPS technology. Although mobile phone is a major cause of distraction, its complete elimination is impractical, as it has become an inevitable part of driving, particularly for the drivers of Mobile Application-Based Taxi Services. While literature pertaining to onboard navigation systems are available, there is rarely any recommendation for optimal positioning of mobile phone (as portable navigation system) to minimize distraction. Earlier studies have considered a limited number of positions in comparison to those adopted by the drivers in practice. Moreover, the driver’s comfort in terms of biomechanical effort and reachability is still unexplored. Thus, the current research aims to identify the optimal in-vehicle positioning of mobile phone, based on the minimal requirement of head and/or torso movement (rotation, flexion/extension) and fingertip reachability. Three manikins of different percentiles were used for evaluation of viewing and operating the mobile phones in each of the nine positions using the CATIA software. Results showed that position ‘8’ (center of the steering wheel) and position ‘4’ (right side of the steering wheel) were more suitable, whereas position ‘9’ (below the central console) was unfit for keeping mobile phone in terms of the biomechanical effort of viewing and reachability.