Occupant Anthropometric Data Analysis for Personalized Vehicle Seating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current seating systems in vehicles lack customization options to accommodate individual occupant preferences, leading to suboptimal comfort and safety, as they rely on generalized adjustments rather than personalized anthropometric data.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses computational devices and mobile terminals to collect and analyze occupant anthropometric data, calculating best-fit body arrangements and generating adjustment instructions for vehicle seats, including manual and automatic adjustment mechanisms, to customize seat dimensions and positions based on occupant-specific metrics such as height, weight, and gender.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If generalized seat adjustments are used, then device complexity is reduced, but occupant comfort and safety are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes multiple seat parameters (position, angle, lumbar support, cushion firmness) based on occupant anthropometric data. The control system adjusts each parameter individually to achieve optimal comfort and safety for each occupant, transforming the seat configuration from a fixed generalized state to a dynamic personalized state.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by allowing occupants to input their own anthropometric data through a user interface, which then automatically generates and executes the personalized seat adjustment sequence without requiring manual adjustment of each parameter by the occupant or another person.
2Measurement precision
If manual measurement of anthropometric data is used, then measurement precision is improved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual mechanical measurement with optical scanning technology. A 3D scanner or camera system captures the occupant's body geometry and automatically processes the data to extract anthropometric parameters, eliminating the need for physical measuring tapes and manual recording while maintaining high precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-calculating the optimal seat adjustment sequence based on the scanned anthropometric data before the occupant even sits in the seat. This allows the seat to be pre-configured or to automatically adjust as the occupant approaches, reducing the actual setup time when the occupant needs to be seated.
3Ease of operation
If automated seat adjustment is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves universality by designing a multi-functional control system that can handle multiple types of seat adjustments (positioning, angling, lumbar support, cushion firmness) through a single integrated controller. This consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate control mechanisms into one universal system that processes anthropometric data and executes all necessary adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses an intermediary software layer that translates anthropometric measurements into specific adjustment commands for the seat mechanisms. This software intermediary simplifies the complexity by providing a clear mapping between measured body parameters and required seat configurations, acting as a mediator between the sensor input and the mechanical adjustment output.
4Reliability
If personalized seating arrangements are provided, then occupant safety is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies segmentation by dividing the seat into independently controllable modules (base position, backrest angle, lumbar support, cushion firmness). This modular segmentation allows each component to be manufactured separately using standard processes, then integrated into a system that can be individually controlled through software, maintaining ease of manufacture while enabling personalization.
Data Source
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AI summary
Equipment and processes generate a seating solution by obtaining occupant data, calculating body dimensions from the occupant data, and calculating a best-fit body arrangement for an occupant. Occupant data may be obtained in various ways using available computational devices and software or by manually measuring the relevant dimensions on the occupant. A user interface for inputting occupant metrics and/or occupant measurements may be provided in a mobile terminal included in the vehicle or separate from the vehicle, thus giving users increased flexibility while maximizing simplicity and usability for the user or other personnel obtaining the data. Once an occupant's best-fit body arrangement is determined, it may be altered by changing the predetermined criteria to achieve optimum comfort, safety, and therapeutic benefit as well as used for providing improved comfort on a continuous basis and/or in response to detected or predicted vehicle, road, or atmospheric conditions.