Driver seat comfort for level 3-4 autonomous vehicles

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Automotive Engineering
• Ergonomics

Background:

• Autonomous vehicles are classified from Level 0 (no automation) to Level 5 (full automation).
• Levels 2-4 require varying driver attention and intervention, necessitating adaptable vehicle designs.
• This creates distinct use cases for vehicle occupants, demanding versatile seating solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess and compare occupant comfort in a production hybrid vehicle seat across manual and autonomous driving modes.
• To identify optimal seating designs that accommodate diverse postures and driving scenarios.

Main Methods:

• A driving simulator study was conducted to evaluate seat comfort.
• Comfort was assessed for a range of postures during manual and autonomous driving simulations.
• The study investigated the impact of head and neckrest design on comfort.

Main Results:

• Discomfort is significantly higher with non-optimal postures during driving tasks.
• A well-designed neckrest was found to be beneficial for reducing neck discomfort in autonomous mode.
• Seat design must account for varying occupant needs in different automation levels.

Conclusions:

• Seating in vehicles with mixed manual and autonomous driving capabilities requires careful ergonomic consideration.
• Optimizing seat and headrest design can mitigate discomfort and enhance the occupant experience in future vehicles.
• Further research into adaptable seating for autonomous vehicles is warranted.