Using Hand Grip Force as a Correlate of Longitudinal Acceleration Comfort for Rapid Transit Trains

Area of Science:

• Transportation Engineering
• Human Factors Engineering
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Ride comfort is crucial for train passenger experience, with longitudinal acceleration being a key factor.
• Objective metrics for assessing longitudinal acceleration comfort are needed, especially for rapid transit systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of hand grip force as a correlate for longitudinal acceleration comfort.
• To develop and validate a predictive model for train ride comfort using hand grip force.

Main Methods:

• A motion simulation system was utilized to conduct a two-stage experiment.
• Data collection focused on hand grip force and longitudinal acceleration during simulated train movements.
• Multiple regression analysis and a field test were employed for model development and validation.

Main Results:

• Incremental hand grip force demonstrated a linear correlation with the magnitude of longitudinal acceleration.
• The direction of the longitudinal acceleration vector did not correlate with incremental grip force.
• Both incremental grip force and acceleration duration significantly impacted perceived longitudinal comfort.

Conclusions:

• A novel step function model effectively predicts longitudinal acceleration comfort using grip force and duration.
• The motion simulation system and the grip force-based model are validated for laboratory studies on train ride comfort.