Designing orthopaedic seat cushion made of rattan using quality function deployment approach

Area of Science:

• Ergonomics and Product Design
• Materials Science
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Spinal issues like herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP) are prevalent, impacting productivity and increasing healthcare costs.
• Traditional furniture design often neglects specific ergonomic needs for posture health and musculoskeletal disorder prevention.
• Rattan, a sustainable tropical material, presents an underutilized resource for innovative furniture solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore diverse product design approaches for rattan-based orthopaedic seating.
• To enhance posture health ergonomics and address musculoskeletal disorder issues using local materials.
• To integrate consumer needs and material properties into an effective design process.

Main Methods:

• Market research, ergonomic studies, and concept development including product morphology and selection.
• Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and House of Quality (HoQ) for translating customer desires into design specifications.
• Stiffness testing and prototype review to validate design performance and material suitability.

Main Results:

• The primary design focus identified via HoQ is orthopaedic design for maximum spinal comfort.
• Rattan weaving exhibits a stiffness comparable to latex (89% similarity).
• Key design priorities include orthopaedic functionality, material quality, cost-effectiveness, versatility, and aesthetics.

Conclusions:

• Rattan is a suitable, sustainable material for ergonomic orthopaedic chairs, offering comfort, durability, and breathability.
• The QFD methodology effectively guided the design process, prioritizing user needs and material performance.
• Optimized ergonomic orthopaedic seating can significantly improve work quality, productivity, and reduce injury-related costs.