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Bai X, Liu Y, Dai Z, Chen Y, Fang P, Ma J. Determinants of Perceived Comfort: Multi-Dimensional Thinking in Smart Bedding Design. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:4058. [PMID: 39000837 PMCID: PMC11243896 DOI: 10.3390/s24134058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Sleep quality is an important issue of public concern. This study, combined with sensor application, aims to explore the determinants of perceived comfort when using smart bedding to provide empirical evidence for improving sleep quality. This study was conducted in a standard sleep laboratory in Quanzhou, China, from March to April of 2023. Perceived comfort was evaluated using the Subjective Lying Comfort Evaluation on a seven-point rating scale, and body pressure distribution was measured using a pressure sensor. Correlation analysis was employed to analyze the relationship between perceived comfort and body pressure, and multiple linear regression was used to identify the factors of perceived comfort. The results showed that body pressure was partially correlated with perceived comfort, and sleep posture significantly influenced perceived comfort. In addition, height, weight, and body mass index are common factors that influence comfort. The findings highlight the importance of optimizing the angular range of boards based on their comfort performance to adjust sleeping posture and equalize pressure distribution. Future research should consider aspects related to the special needs of different populations (such as height and weight), as well as whether users are elderly and whether they have particular diseases. The design optimization of the bed board division and mattress softness, based on traditional smart bedding, can improve comfort and its effectiveness in reducing health risks and enhancing health status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangtian Bai
- School of Design, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Yonghong Liu
- School of Design, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
- Innovation Institute of Industrial Design and Machine Intelligence, Hunan University, Quanzhou 362006, China
| | - Zhe Dai
- School of Design, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Yongkang Chen
- College of Design and Innovation, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Pingping Fang
- School of Design, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Jun Ma
- Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
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Caballero-Bruno I, Lingelbach K, Wohllebe T, Weng M, Piechnik D, Tagalidou N, Vukelić M, Hernández-Castellano PM. Sleep quality and comfort in fully automated vehicles: A comparison of two seat configurations. APPLIED ERGONOMICS 2024; 114:104137. [PMID: 37716080 DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2023.104137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
As autonomous driving technology advances, the possibility of using vehicles as sleeping environments becomes increasingly relevant. To investigate the feasibility of this concept, a sleep study was conducted with twelve participants who were given a 4-h opportunity window to sleep in both reclined and flat seat configurations. The evaluation involved both objective measures, including polysomnographic (PSG) data analysis, and subjective measures through questionnaires, assessing sleep quality and comfort. While the sleep quantity results were comparable between the two sleeping positions, the reclined position showed a slight advantage in sleep quantity (TST and WASO). Interestingly, a trend highlighting a possible difference was found between the seat positions regarding non-rapid eye movement stage 3 (NREM 3). NREM 3 tended to be in a higher proportion of total sleep time in the flat seat position. Sleep onset latency (SOL) also showed a trend of a shorter latency by participants in the flat position. Additionally, most participants reported a preference for the flat position over the reclined position. These findings suggest that a flat seat configuration could offer a more comfortable and restful sleep environment for passengers in autonomous vehicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Caballero-Bruno
- Volkswagen AG, 38436, Wolfsburg, Germany; University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35001, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
| | | | | | | | - Daniela Piechnik
- Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany; Institute of Human Factors and Technology Management IAT, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Nektaria Tagalidou
- Institute of Human Factors and Technology Management IAT, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Mathias Vukelić
- Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
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Luo H, Cao X, Dong Y, Li Y. Simulation and experimental study on the stability and comfortability of the wheelchair human system under uneven pavement. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1279675. [PMID: 38026870 PMCID: PMC10652388 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1279675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
With the improvement in the level of science and technology and the improvement of people's living standards, the functions of traditional manual wheelchairs have been unable to meet people's living needs. Therefore, traditional wheelchairs have been gradually replaced by smart wheelchairs. Compared with traditional wheelchairs, smart wheelchairs have the characteristics of light operation and faster speed. However, when driving on some complex road surfaces, the vibration generated by the bumps of the motorcycle will cause damage to the human body, so wheelchairs with good electric power and stability can better meet the needs of people and make up for their travel needs. Based on the traditional vehicle stability analysis method, the mathematical theory of roll stability and pitch stability of the wheelchair-human system was established. We built a multi-body dynamics model with human skeleton and joint stiffness based on the multi-body dynamics method. The functioning of the wheelchair-human system was simulated and analyzed on the ditch, step, and combined road. The acceleration and Euler angle changes of the human head, chest, and wheelchair truss position were obtained, and the data results were analyzed to evaluate the stability and comfort of the system. Finally, a wheelchair test platform was built, and the road driving test was carried out according to the simulation conditions to obtain the system acceleration and angle data during the driving process. The simulation analysis was compared to verify the accuracy of the multi-body dynamics method, and the stability and comfort of the system were evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haitao Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Institutes for Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
| | - Xuan Cao
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shenyang Ligong University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yuming Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shenyang University of Technology, Shenyang, China
| | - Yuxin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Yao X, He Y, Udomboonyanupap S, Hessenberger N, Song Y, Vink P. Measuring pressure distribution under the seat cushion and dividing the pressure map in six regions might be beneficial for comfort studies of aircraft seats. ERGONOMICS 2023; 66:1594-1607. [PMID: 36524386 DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2022.2157495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Seat pressure maps are often used to evaluate comfort of the users. In this study, we explored the relationships between pressure maps and comfort/discomfort of users in aircraft seats with a focus on a new 6-division method on the pressure maps collected at the bottom of the cushions. An experiment was designed where three cushions with identical shapes but different stiffnesses were prepared. 33 subjects joined the experiment and after sitting on each cushion in 4 postures, they completed comfort questionnaires. Pressure maps on the top as well as the bottom of cushions were collected and analysed. Results indicated that measures on the proposed 6 divisions, especially on the distal posterior thigh regions and regions close to ischial tuberosity of the bottom pressure maps, had larger correlation values to comfort scores compared to other division methods. Practitioner summary: The relations between comfort/discomfort and seat pressure maps collected from the top/bottom of three cushions were studied with 33 subjects in four postures. The distal posterior thigh and ischial tuberosity regions in the proposed 6-division of the bottom pressure maps had larger correlation values to comfort/discomfort compared to other methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinhe Yao
- Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Yufei He
- Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Sumalee Udomboonyanupap
- Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | | | - Yu Song
- Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Vink
- Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
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Lecocq M, Lantoine P, Bougard C, Allègre JM, Bauvineau L, González D, Bourdin C, Marqueste T, Dousset E. Perceived discomfort and neuromuscular fatigue during long-duration real driving with different car seats. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278131. [PMID: 36508433 PMCID: PMC9744284 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Identification of the seat features that could improve driving experience is a main issue for automotive companies. OBJECTIVE Long duration real driving sessions were performed to assess the effect of three seats (soft-S1, firm-S2 and suspended-S3) on perceived discomfort and neuromuscular fatigue (NMF). MATERIALS & METHODS For each seat, the muscular activity of bilateral Trapezius Descendens (TD), Erector Spinae (ES) and Multifidus (MF) muscles of twenty-one participants was recorded during real driving sessions of 3-hours each lasting approximately 3 hours and following the same itinerary. During each driving session, participants were also regularly asked to self-evaluate their level of whole-body and local discomfort. In addition, an endurance static test (EST) was performed before (ESTpre) and after (ESTpost) each driving session to assess the seat effect on physical capacity. RESULTS Whole-body discomfort increased with driving time for all seats, but this increase became significant latter for S3. The highest scores of local discomfort occurred for neck and lower back. Contrary to S1 and S2, the duration of ESTpost was not significantly lower compared to ESTpre with the S3. Interestingly, muscular activity of S1 remained stable throughout the driving task which could be attributed to sustained muscular contraction, while muscular recruitment adjustments occurred for S2 and S3 from 1H00 of driving. This muscular compensation concerns mostly the right side for S2 and S3 but with different profiles. On the left side, the muscular adjustments concern only the MF with S2 and the ES with S3. CONCLUSION Overall, our results demonstrated that S3 could be considered as the most suitable seat to delay discomfort and NMF appearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Lecocq
- CTAG, Centro Tecnolóxico de Automoción de Galicia, Porriño, Spain
- CNRS, ISM, Institut des Sciences du Mouvement: Etienne-Jules MAREY (UMR 7287), Faculté des Sciences du Sport, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Pascaline Lantoine
- CNRS, ISM, Institut des Sciences du Mouvement: Etienne-Jules MAREY (UMR 7287), Faculté des Sciences du Sport, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
- Groupe Stellantis, Centre Technique de Vélizy, Vélizy-Villacoublay, Cedex, France
| | - Clément Bougard
- Groupe Stellantis, Centre Technique de Vélizy, Vélizy-Villacoublay, Cedex, France
| | - Jean-Marc Allègre
- Groupe Stellantis, Centre Technique de Vélizy, Vélizy-Villacoublay, Cedex, France
| | - Laurent Bauvineau
- Groupe Stellantis, Centre Technique de Vélizy, Vélizy-Villacoublay, Cedex, France
| | - Damián González
- CTAG, Centro Tecnolóxico de Automoción de Galicia, Porriño, Spain
| | - Christophe Bourdin
- CNRS, ISM, Institut des Sciences du Mouvement: Etienne-Jules MAREY (UMR 7287), Faculté des Sciences du Sport, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Tanguy Marqueste
- CNRS, ISM, Institut des Sciences du Mouvement: Etienne-Jules MAREY (UMR 7287), Faculté des Sciences du Sport, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Erick Dousset
- CNRS, ISM, Institut des Sciences du Mouvement: Etienne-Jules MAREY (UMR 7287), Faculté des Sciences du Sport, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
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Caballero-Bruno I, Wohllebe T, Töpfer D, Hernández-Castellano PM. The effect of seating recline on sleep quality, comfort and pressure distribution in moving autonomous vehicles. APPLIED ERGONOMICS 2022; 105:103844. [PMID: 35803165 DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2022.103844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The revolution of technologically advanced vehicles with a high level of automation involves a profound transformation. The focus of most research in this area has been on the use of travel time for different use cases. Sleeping is one of the most time-consuming activities in everyone's life; therefore, this has been described as one of the most desired use cases for fully automated vehicles. In order to identify the best conditions to allow sleep and improve sleep quality while travelling in such vehicles, two studies were performed: a sleep study and a pressure distribution study, the results of which are included in this document. The focus of both studies was on two seat positions: reclined (60° backrest recline) and flat (87° backrest recline). In the sleep study, forty participants had the opportunity to sleep during a 90-min drive in order to evaluate long-term comfort and subjective sleep quantity and quality. Although both positions resulted in generally similar results in terms of sleep and comfort, some significant differences were identified. Karolinska Sleepiness Scale results showed that sleepiness increased in the reclined position, whereas it decreased in the flat position. Moreover, the self-reported parameter Wake After Sleep Onset was higher in the reclined position. In the pressure distribution study, it was possible to identify specific seat prototype limitations indicating inadequate support, which was related to discomfort detected during the sleep study. As a conclusion, the comparison between the reclined and flat positions showed indications that, in moving fully automated vehicles, the flat seat position is the most comfortable and effective for sleeping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Caballero-Bruno
- Volkswagen AG, D- 38436, Wolfsburg, Germany; University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
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