Body Pressure Distribution Measurement for Comfort Evaluation of a Coccyx Seating Mat

Abstract

This study evaluates the seating mat comfort based on the measurement results of body pressure. A specially designed sitting mat for decubitus patients features its alleviated pressure on the coccyx, while maintaining well distributed body pressure force which may give more comfort to its users. For validation, a series of pressure measurement scheme is planned for a variety of conditions comprising the floor conditions (a flat floor, an office chair, and a car seat) and the mat options. For a quantitative evaluation, some comfort indices including the seat pressure distribution (SPD) and segmental pressure ratio are employed. The test results support that the proposed cushion mat effectively alleviates the pressure near coccyx maintaining less overall body pressure over the mat.