Modeling passenger comfort in turboprop aircraft using objective measures.

Background: A quantitative comfort model will aid in evaluating comfort levels of various target groups before the actual flight of an airplane. However, constructing the model is always a challenge due to the complexity of the phenomenon.

Objectives: In this paper, we present quantitative comfort models to predict the (dis)comfort of passengers flying with turboprops based on objective measures.

Large Deformation Finite Element Analyses for 3D X-ray CT Scanned Microscopic Structures of Polyurethane Foams.

Polyurethane foams have unique properties that make them suitable for a wide range of applications, including cushioning and seat pads. The foam mechanical properties largely depend on both the parent material and foam cell microstructure. Uniaxial loading experiments, X-ray tomography and finite element analysis can be used to investigate the relationship between the macroscopic mechanical properties and microscopic foam structure.

Driver seat comfort for level 3-4 autonomous vehicles.

Background: Autonomous vehicles can be classified on a scale of automation from 0 to 5, where level 0 corresponds to vehicles that have no automation to level 5 where the vehicle is fully autonomous and it is not possible for the human occupant to take control. At level 2, the driver needs to retain attention as they are in control of at least some systems. Level 3-4 vehicles are capable of full control but the human occupant might be required to, or desire to, intervene in some circumstances.

PCQ: Preferred Comfort Questionnaires for product design.

Background: Selecting the most suitable questionnaire(s) in comfort research for product design is always a challenge, even for experienced researchers.

Objective: The objective of this research is to create a list of Preferred Comfort Questionnaires (PCQ) for product design to help researchers in the selection of questionnaires for comfort research.

Methods: Fifteen questionnaires that are often used in comfort research for product design were selected as candidate questionnaires.

Introduction to the special issue on comfort: A review of 26 papers from the International Comfort Congress 2019.

Various aspects related to comfort are described in this special issue. Some papers are focused on the environment, like smell, temperature, light, acoustics, space and some on an artefact touching the human, like the floor angle, the seat, a bed and light. However, in this special issue also topics like modelling and behavior get more attention.

Physiological correlates of cognitive load in laparoscopic surgery.

Laparoscopic surgery can be exhausting and frustrating, and the cognitive load experienced by surgeons may have a major impact on patient safety as well as healthcare economics. As cognitive load decreases with increasing proficiency, its robust assessment through physiological data can help to develop more effective training and certification procedures in this area. We measured data from 31 novices during laparoscopic exercises to extract features based on cardiac and ocular variables.

Integrating and applying models of comfort.

This paper gives an overview of the relevance of the comfort concept, its definitions, boundary conditions, and stakeholders. Current comfort theories are presented and reflected on, both in their applicability and testing methodology. Questionnaires commonly used to study comfort and discomfort are also reviewed.

Engineering movement into automotive seating: Does the driver feel more comfortable and refreshed?

The concept of introducing movement in automotive seating was investigated. Three seat conditions, a control (no movement) and two movement conditions (fore-aft and cushion-backrest) were compared. Movement was introduced at a fixed speed, slow, smooth and within a small range.

Improving long term driving comfort by taking breaks - How break activity affects effectiveness.

During long duration journeys, drivers are encouraged to take regular breaks. The benefits of breaks have been documented for safety; breaks may also be beneficial for comfort. The activity undertaken during a break may influence its effectiveness.

Neonatal head and torso vibration exposure during inter-hospital transfer.

Inter-hospital transport of premature infants is increasingly common, given the centralisation of neonatal intensive care. However, it is known to be associated with anomalously increased morbidity, most notably brain injury, and with increased mortality from multifactorial causes. Surprisingly, there have been relatively few previous studies investigating the levels of mechanical shock and vibration hazard present during this vehicular transport pathway.

An approach to vehicle design: In-depth audit to understand the needs of older drivers.

The population of older people continues to increase around the world, and this trend is expected to continue; the population of older drivers is increasing accordingly. January 2012 figures from the DVLA in the UK stated that there were more than 15 million drivers aged over 60; more than 1 million drivers were aged over 80. There is a need for specific research tools to understand and capture how all users interact with features in the vehicle cabin e.

Effect of long term driving on driver discomfort and its relationship with seat fidgets and movements (SFMs).

Discomfort in vehicle seats is a multifactorial problem with large increases in discomfort occurring during extended duration driving. Due to the nature of driver discomfort, previous research has found it difficult to accurately quantify long term driver discomfort via the use of objective measures. This paper reports a laboratory study that investigates a novel objective measure of long term driver discomfort and its correlation with subjective discomfort ratings.

Driving a better driving experience: a questionnaire survey of older compared with younger drivers.

A questionnaire survey of drivers (n = 903) was conducted covering musculoskeletal symptoms, the vehicle seat, access to specific vehicle features, ingress/egress, driving performance and driving behaviours. Significantly, more discomfort was reported by older drivers (aged 65+) in the hips/thighs/buttocks and knees. Older drivers reported more difficulty parallel parking (p ≤ 0.

Contribution of individual components of a job cycle on overall severity of whole-body vibration exposure: a study in Indian mines.

Drivers of earth-moving machines are exposed to whole-body vibration (WBV). In mining operations there can be a combination of relatively high magnitudes of vibration and long exposure times. Effective risk mitigation requires understanding of the main aspects of a task that pose a hazard to health.

Driver discomfort in vehicle seats - Effect of changing road conditions and seat foam composition.

Discomfort in vehicle seats is a multi-factorial problem with contributions occurring from effects of sitting duration, seat design, and the dynamic environment to which the occupant is exposed. This paper reports laboratory studies investigating the extent to which reports of discomfort are affected by vibration commencing or ceasing, and whether methods of assessment are sensitive enough to detect small changes in foam composition. Study 1 measured discomfort ratings for two conditions of 60 min each, comprising 30 min of vibration exposure followed by 30 min of static sitting in a car seat, and vice-versa.

Driving performance and driver discomfort in an elevated and standard driving position during a driving simulation.

The primary purposes of a vehicle driver's seat, is to allow them to complete the driving task comfortably and safely. Within each class of vehicle (e.g.

Predicting the health risks related to whole-body vibration and shock: a comparison of alternative assessment methods for high-acceleration events in vehicles.

Unlabelled: In this paper, alternative assessment methods for whole-body vibration and shocks are compared by means of 70 vibration samples measured from 13 work vehicles, deliberately selected to represent periods containing shocks. Five methodologies (ISO 2631-1:1997, BS 6841:1987, ISO 2631-5:2004, DIN SPEC 45697:2012 and one specified by Gunston [2011], 'G-method') were applied to the vibration samples. In order to compare different evaluation metrics, limiting exposures were determined by calculating times to reach the upper limit thresholds given in the methods.

Effects of vertical and side-alternating vibration training on fall risk factors and bone turnover in older people at risk of falls.

Background: whole-body vibration training may improve neuromuscular function, falls risk and bone density, but previous studies have had conflicting findings.

Objective: this study aimed to evaluate the influence of vertical vibration (VV) and side-alternating vibration (SV) on musculoskeletal health in older people at risk of falls.

Design: single-blind, randomised, controlled trial comparing vibration training to sham vibration (Sham) in addition to usual care.

Design of digital filters for frequency weightings (A and C) required for risk assessments of workers exposed to noise.

Many workers are exposed to noise in their industrial environment. Excessive noise exposure can cause health problems and therefore it is important that the worker's noise exposure is assessed. This may require measurement by an equipment manufacturer or the employer.

A survey of expert opinion on the effects of occupational exposures to trunk rotation and whole-body vibration.

We present a review of current expert opinion on the effects of combined exposures to trunk rotation and whole-body vibration (WBV), commonly experienced by operators of agricultural machinery. We evaluate the level of agreement between academic experts in the field of ergonomics, human response to WBV and agricultural operators, on the effects of exposure to WBV and trunk rotation. A total of 83 individuals responded to the paper-based questionnaire, which included questions on risk levels from individual and combined exposures, discomfort development, exposure duration limits and tasks within agriculture.

Subjective ratings of whole-body vibration for single- and multi-axis motion.

Real-world whole-body vibration exposures comprise motion in fore-aft, lateral, and vertical directions simultaneously. There can also be components of roll, pitch, and yaw. If evaluating vibration with respect to human response, most investigators will use methods defined in ISO 2631-1.

Whole body vibration in helicopters: risk assessment in relation to low back pain.

Introduction: Helicopter pilots are exposed to whole body vibration (WBV) in their working environment. WBV has been associated with low back pain (LBP) and helicopter pilots have a high prevalence for LBP compared with other professions. The aim of this study was to develop a test protocol for measuring helicopters with ISO 2631-1 and to perform a whole body vibration risk assessment based on the European Vibration Directive in a number of commonly used military and civilian helicopters.

Relative contribution of translational and rotational vibration to discomfort.

Understanding how vibration affects discomfort is an important factor for improving work and travelling experience. Methods of evaluating health effects from whole-body vibration are closely linked to those for evaluating discomfort in ISO 2631-1. The standard includes a method to evaluate discomfort using twelve axes of vibration with a similar approach to that for evaluating health effects; thus using all twelve axes gives a possibility to evaluate both health and discomfort.