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Shape design of an optimal comfortable pillow based on the analytic hierarchy process method
Shuo-Fang Liu1, Yann-Long Lee, Jung-Chin Liang
1Associate Professor, Department of Industrial Design, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 701, Tainan, Taiwan.
Journal of Chiropractic Medicine
|June 2, 2012
Summary
Researchers explored pillow shapes and comfort. Pillow design #4, combining standard, cervical, and shoulder features, was found most comfortable for head, neck, and shoulder support.
Area of Science:
- Ergonomics and Human Factors
- Biomechanical Engineering
- Product Design
Background:
- Limited research exists on the impact of pillow shape on user comfort.
- Understanding user comfort is crucial for effective product design.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between pillow shape design and subjective comfort levels.
- To identify optimal pillow design features for enhanced user comfort.
Main Methods:
- Literature review identified key pillow design factors.
- Eight pillow configurations were created by recombining these factors.
- The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was employed to rank comfort levels.
Main Results:
- Pillow configuration #4 emerged as the most comfortable across multiple metrics.
- This optimal design integrated features of standard, cervical, and shoulder pillows.
- A prototype was developed based on these findings for future pillow designs.
Conclusions:
- Pillow design significantly influences subjective comfort.
- Deconstruction analysis aids in identifying key comfort-contributing features.
- Findings can guide designers in creating optimized pillows for diverse user groups.
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