Methods for Evaluating the Comfort of Vehicle Seating Systems - A Literature Review

This review assesses methods for evaluating vehicle seating comfort, which is crucial due to prolonged fixed postures by occupants. These postures, aggravated by vehicle and environmental vibrations, cause significant psychological and physiological discomfort. Such conditions diminish work efficiency, reduce working hours, and adversely affect occupants’ health, potentially leading to various occupational diseases. The study defines comfort, explores influencing fac-tors via the Human-Machine-Environment Systems (HMES) framework, and ex-amines current evaluation techniques and technological approaches based on different types of comfort. It suggests potential enhancements to seating comfort, including ergonomic modifications and material innovations. Furthermore, the re-search incorporates biomechanical analyses of human lower limbs under sedentary conditions, identifying critical gaps in existing studies on vehicle seating comfort. This examination aids in pinpointing deficiencies and outlining future research directions. The paper concludes by advocating for in-depth studies that merge ergonomic design with biomechanical insights, aiming to refine vehicle seating systems. These enhancements strive to meet human physiological needs better, thus improving overall comfort and reducing health hazards.