The aim of this study is to develop a light-weight, comfortable seat. The idea is to shape a seat with a minimum of material by using the contour of the seated human. Twenty-five participants were asked to sit in a vacuum mattress placed on a wooden seat frame with similar angles as the car seat construction angles. They were instructed to sit in a comfortable position and perform driving movements. The mattress was then fixed, the contour scanned and digitised. All scans were superimposed giving input for a seat shell design made out of glass fibre laminate. The comfort experience of the shell was tested by 25 participants and compared with a standard BMW seat. The study shows that it is possible to create a rather comfortable seat using the human surface anatomy. However, more research on defining the specific form for the ideal shell is needed.
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