UMTRI Project

Seating Accommodation Models

Sponsor:
Investigator: Carol Flannagan
00/00/0000 - 00/00/0000

One of the important considerations in the design of the vehicle interior is the proper specification of the range of adjustment for the driver seat. Driver “packaging” refers to the layout of the driver’s workstation, including the positioning of the pedals, steering wheel, and seat to accommodate a large percentage of drivers comfortably and safely. The seat positions of hundreds of drivers were measured in over 40 vehicles and a wide range of laboratory mockup conditions to develop a new seating accommodation model that predicts the distribution of driver-selected seat position as a function of driver body dimensions and vehicle interior geometry. This model, now documented in SAE J4004, replaces the seating accommodation model in SAE J1517 for passenger cars and light trucks.