UMTRI Project

Design and Development of Automotive Seat and Package Evaluation and Comparison Tools (ASPECT)

Sponsor:
Investigator: Lawrence Schneider
00/00/0000 - 00/00/0000

The ASPECT program developed a new set of tools to improve vehicle interior accommodation and comfort for drivers and passengers. The primary outcome was a new H-point manikin (or H-point machine) for measuring vehicle seats and interiors. The ASPECT manikin is now known as the HPM-II and is documented in SAE J4002. The manikin has an articulated lumbar spine that conforms to modern seats and updated surface contours and improved torso geometry that enhance the utility of seat measurements obtained with the manikin for automotive seat design. The program also involved measurement of the riding and driving postures of hundreds of people of widely varying size while varying vehicle interior and seat dimensions to quantify effects on posture. Statistical analysis of the posture data formed the basis of the manikin design and developing posture-prediction algorithms that allow accurate integration of CAD human models with CAD vehicle interior models.