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The effect of a lightweight massage system in a car seat on comfort and electromyogram
Matthias Franz1, Raphael Zenk, Peter Vink
1BMW AG Forschungs und Innovationszentrum, München, Germany. matthias.franz@bmw.de
Objective:
The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a lightweight low-intensity massage system (LWMAS) in a car seat on the electromyogram (EMG) of the neck and shoulder muscles and on the comfort experience during driving.
Methods:
Two experiments were performed during driving with and without the active LWMAS in the seat. Subjective measurements were taken, in which the comfort experience was recorded for 20 participants driving a prescribed path around Munich for 120 minutes. Then objective (surface EMG above the rhomboideus and trapezius muscles) measurements and subjective measurements of the comfort experience were recorded over 7 laps on a test track for 24 participants.
Results:
The comfort was higher, and the EMG was significantly lower in the trapezius area while driving with the LWMAS.
Conclusion:
Despite the fact that the LWMAS system is lightweight, has low intensity, and might have had a smaller effect, similar effects to previous studies with heavier systems were found, indicating that this massage system increases comfort and reduces muscle activity during driving as well.
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