Vibration Transmission at Seat Cushion and Sitting Comfort in Next-Generation Cars

Sitting comfort in next-generation cars was explored using a key objective measure of vibration transmission. Connected, autonomous, shared, and electric vehicles (CASE mobility) will allow users to engage in several on-board activities. Within a laboratory experiment, the arrangement of the seat–occupant system was characterized with reference to performed activities in terms of “sitting configuration”. Six males and six females occupying a car seat were exposed to four whole-body vibrations in four sitting configurations matching four pairs of activities. Primary-resonance modulus of vertical in-line transmissibility at seat cushion was calculated from acceleration measurements and used as the response variable of an ANOVA model. The model showed an appreciable main effect of both vibration magnitude and sitting configuration as well as a limited interaction between them. Conversely, it failed to show a main effect of sex and any sex-related interactions; nevertheless, for all treatments, the within-group mean value of the response variable was greater for males than for females. Results suggest that not only vibration magnitude but also sitting configuration and possibly sex affect sitting comfort in next-generation cars for CASE mobility.