1.
Osvalder, Anna-Lisa, 1961, et al.
(författare)
Children's attitudes towards comfort and safety of an extra seatbelt during car travelling
2014
Ingår i: 46th Annual Nordic Ergonomics Society (NES), Aug 17-20, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt) abstract
The objective of this study was to identify and analyse children’s attitudes regarding comfort and safety of extra seatbelts in the car rear seat. Together with the existing three- point belt the extra seatbelt holds the child in a more upright and forward facing position, which is the desired sitting position for optimal protection. Focus groups were used to identify attitudes of 11 Swedish children between 8-10 years. First attitudes towards the standard three-point seat belt were discussed then two different extra seat belt concepts were introduced verbally with pictures. Finally the two concepts were tested in the rear seat of a car.The results showed that the children were much aware of car safety issues but also influenced by their parents’ attitudes regarding safety. They said the seat belt is good since it provides a feeling of safety and protection, even though it sometimes makes it uncomfortable to travel. The children reacted positively on the extra seat belts and considered them as nicer, simpler, more comfortable and cooler to use than solely the three- point belt. They also wished to have extra seat belts in their own car due to increased safety. However they were also much annoyed by discomfort. For some children the extra seat belt caused chafing to the neck or unpleasant pressure on their upper body. They also felt trapped because it reduced the possibility to move freely.To conclude the children showed high acceptance of extra seat belts based on their first impression, much due to that their parents want them to be safe. However, after testing the concepts for only a couple of minutes, some concerns arose regarding comfort and handling aspects. The children believed that if the extra seat belt would cause discomfort or be troublesome to handle, it would result in decreased usage.
2.
Wang, Xiaojuan, 1985, et al.
(författare)
Human Response to Vibrations and Its Contribution to the Overall Ride Comfort in Automotive Vehicles - A Literature Review
2020
Ingår i: SAE Technical Papers. - 400 Commonwealth Drive, Warrendale, PA, United States : SAE International. - 0148-7191 .- 2688-3627. ; 2020-April:April
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
The various factors that affect ride comfort, including noise, vibrations and harshness (NVH) have been in focus in many research studies due to an increasing demand in ride comfort in the automotive industry. Vibrations have been highlighted as an important contribution to assess and predict overall ride comfort. The purpose of this paper is to present an approach to explain ride comfort with respect to vibration for the seated occupant based on a systematic literature review of previous fundamental research and to relate these results to the application in the contemporary automotive industry. The results from the literature study show that numerous research studies have determined how vibration frequency, magnitude, direction, duration affect human response to vibration. Also, the studies have highlighted how body posture, age, gender and anthropometry affect the human perception of comfort. An analysis was made of the consistency and inconsistency of the results obtained in the different studies. The deviations of the research results from real-world ride comfort in automotive vehicles were analyzed and divided into three groups: appreciable and consistent with industry results, appreciable and inconsistent with industry results and not appreciable in industrial results. The overall conclusion from this literature study was that there is much information available from laboratory studies regarding human response to vibrations, but there is a lack of studies that take into account all the different parameters that affect the overall ride comfort experience for automotive vehicle occupants.
3.
Liu, Yuanhua, 1971, et al.
(författare)
Considering the importance of user profiles in interface design
2009
Ingår i: User Interfaces. ; , s. 23-
Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt) abstract
User profile is a popular term widely employed during product design processes by industrial companies. Such a profile is normally intended to represent real users of a product. The ultimate purpose of a user profile is actually to help designers to recognize or learn about the real user by presenting them with a description of a real user’s attributes, for instance; the user’s gender, age, educational level, attitude, technical needs and skill level. The aim of this chapter is to provide information on the current knowledge and research about user profile issues, as well as to emphasize the importance of considering these issues in interface design. In this chapter, we mainly focus on how users’ difference in expertise affects their performance or activity in various interaction contexts. Considering the complex interaction situations in practice, novice and expert users’ interactions with medical user interfaces of different technical complexity will be analyzed as examples: one focuses on novice and expert users’ difference when interacting with simple medical interfaces, and the other focuses on differences when interacting with complex medical interfaces. Four issues will be analyzed and discussed: (1) how novice and expert users differ in terms of performance during the interaction; (2) how novice and expert users differ in the perspective of cognitive mental models during the interaction; (3) how novice and expert users should be defined in practice; and (4) what are the main differences between novice and expert users’ implications for interface design. Besides describing the effect of users’ expertise difference during the interface design process, we will also pinpoint some potential problems for the research on interface design, as well as some future challenges that academic researchers and industrial engineers should face in practice.
4.
Österman, Cecilia, 1971, et al.
(författare)
The human element in maritime logistics
2012
Ingår i: Maritime logistics: a complete guide to effective shipping and port management. Edited by Dong-Wook Song & Photis M Panayides. - 9780749463694 ; , s. 59-74
Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
5.
Osvalder, Anna-Lisa, 1961, et al.
(författare)
Evaluation of computer workers’ usage of posture adjustments of an ergonomic office chair
2014
Ingår i: 46th Annual Nordic Ergonomics Society (NES), Aug 17-20, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt) abstract
Today there is a large amount of knowledge about appropriate ergonomics postures during office computer work. The market offers a large selection of ergonomic office chairs with numerous possibilities of adjustments for wide-ranged sitting postures. Problems arise when a chair has to many settings with different designs and functionality. It is often difficult to understand how the various settings should be adjusted for optimal individual postures.The objective of this study was to find out how different adjustments of an ergonomic office chair were perceived, interpreted and handled by office computer workers. 84 people from two companies participated during a period of five weeks. 48 of these got a new ergonomic office chair, while the others kept their ordinary chair. Among the 48 users, 28 received an oral introduction/training about ergonomic features of the chair. Subjective data were collected each week in questionnaires and later statistically analysed.The results showed that the understanding increased significantly regarding how to adjust the chair when oral introduction/training was given. Also adjustments were significantly used more frequently in this group, especially the rocking function. However, when comfortable settings were found the users seldom adjusted the chair again. Sitting height was most often adjusted, followed by seat back angulation. The positions of the neck support and armrests were seldom changed. Few users understood that the length of the seat cushion was changeable.To conclude, when delivering office chairs it is important to introduce people on how to adjust the chair to accomplish appropriate sitting postures. Essential is that the chair is adjusted several times a day and that the rocking function is used to achieve posture changes. Instructive information material also need to be developed, explaining how optimal sitting postures can be found by adjusting the settings in a correct order of priority.
6.
Osvalder, Anna-Lisa, 1961, et al.
(författare)
Older Children’s Sitting Postures, Behaviour and Comfort Experience during Ride – A Comparison between an Integrated Booster Cushion and a High-Back Booster
2013
Ingår i: Proceedings 2013 IRCOBI Conference, 11-13 September, Gothenburg, Sweden. - 2235-3151. ; , s. 882-885
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat) abstract
Sitting postures and comfort experience were analysed from six children aged 7-9 (131-145 cm) seated on an Integrated Booster Cushion (IBC) and a high-back Booster (hbB) during 1 hour on-road drives respectively. Data was collected from video recordings, questionnaires and interviews. When seated on the IBC the most frequent posture was with the entire back and shoulders against the backrest and the head upright. On the hbB, the shoulders were seldom against the backrest. The most frequent lateral sitting posture for both boosters was upright with the seat belt in contact with the neck or mid-shoulder. Moderate and extreme forward and lateral postures occurred occasionally. A positive attitude was found towards the IBC due to possibilities to move freely, the soft seat cushion and the absence of torso supports, but the short seat cushion created some inconvenience. The hbB was perceived hard, created a locked-in feeling and felt unpleasant due to movements when changing postures. The combination of objective and subjective measures provided valuable information regarding children’s sitting behaviour. It is obvious that children do not always sit as in crash tests. Their activities and perceived discomfort influenced the selection of sitting posture and seat belt positions.
7.
Hansson, Ida, 1986, et al.
(författare)
Handling and comfort evaluation of extra seat belt concepts for rear seat passengers
2014
Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt) abstract
Pre-crash car manoeuvres may contribute to head injuries to restrained children in frontal impacts. Evasive steering manoeuvres can cause the shoulder belt to slide off the shoulder resulting in excessive forward head excursion. This can allow the head to get in contact with the seat back in front of them.The overall aim of this project was to evaluate different restraint concepts that can maintain the rear-seated occupant well restrained during evasive manoeuvres prior to frontal collisions. Two extra seat belt concepts, named CrissCross (CC) and BackPack (BP), for the rear seat of a passenger car were developed and installed in a Volvo V60. In the project aspects such as handling and comfort were studied, as well as user acceptance and attitude towards the two extra seat belt concepts. To fulfil the goals of the project three different studies were performed; the Guessability study, the Attitude study and the Comfort study. The studies were carried out with children, youths and adults as test subjects. The guessability study was a field study where 100 persons testing handling of the extra seat belt when seeing it for the first time. In the attitude study, 5 focus groups were conducted to explore the user’s attitude to and acceptance of extra seat belts. Moreover, in the comfort study 32 and 14 test subjects respectively evaluated use aspects such as comfort and user experience during one-hour and three-hour car rides respectively. Subjective data, colleted through interviews and questionnaires, were analysed. The data provided comprehensive information as well as understanding of how the user experienced the extra seat belts in a realistic usage situation and also their attitudes towards the extra seat belts and which factors that affect the acceptance of the product. Generally the test subjects showed a positive attitude towards the extra seat belts. Both children and adults appreciated the increased feeling of safety and after having tried both concepts in the comfort study 90 % (for CC) and 70 % (for BP) respectively said that they felt safer travelling with these belt concepts than without. Comfort was considered an important factor in both the attitude and the comfort study. Body shape and size affected the seat belt fit to a great extent and the fit of the extra seat belts affected the comfort experience for most test subjects, both initially and over time. Comfort together with the feeling of safety was pointed out as having greatest impact on preferred concept.In the attitude study 86 % of the participants preferred CC after having tried both concepts for a couple of minutes. After having tried the concepts for one hour each in the comfort study, 56% of the participants preferred CC. This result strongly indicates that the comfort experience of the extra seat belt changes over time. Those who liked CC best appreciated its symmetry, comfort and the feeling of safety. Some test subjects found CC unpleasant to wear because the belts tended to slip close to the neck, described as a strangling feeling. The test subjects who preferred BP thought it was simpler to handle and that it did not cause the same strangling feeling as CC did. Negative characteristics with BP were that it felt asymmetric to use and not as safe as CC. To conclude, this project provided a first evaluation on how people experience extra seat belts in the rear seat of a car, and which factors that affects attitudes towards it. The studies show that besides reliance in the safety of the product, comfort, information about benefits, launching approach and habit of using the product are important factors when it comes to gain acceptance. The project result contains much valuable knowledge that can benefit further development and introduction of new seat belt concepts in cars.
8.
Jakobsson, Lotta, 1967, et al.
(författare)
ASSESSMENT OF PASSENGER SAFETY IN FUTURE CARS - IDENTIFYING THE REAL-WORLD NEEDS TOWARDS SAFETY SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT
2023
Ingår i: 27th ESV Conference Proceedings.
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat) abstract
Future cars will likely include further collision mitigation systems, seat positions and seating configurations compared to current cars, in addition to an increased degree of shared mobility solutions. At the same time the population is becoming older and the diversity in car passenger dimensions is growing. This calls for assessment tools and evaluation methods beyond the current standardized crash test methods. This paper summarizes the results of a Swedish research project on how to assess the protection of the heterogeneous population of passengers (i.e., nondrivers) in future car crashes, focusing on restraint interaction. With the overall purpose of further improving passenger protection, the specific aims were to achieve method developments based on the enhancement of tools (physical and virtual human substitutes) as well as to create knowledge on passenger protection needs. This comprehensive research project combined multiple competencies and international collaborations, and a large number of studies have been performed using different methods. The applied methods include real-world crash data analyses to identify scenarios and situations, crash testing and simulation, and additionally user-studies conducted in cars to evaluate sitting posture, beltfit, kinematics, comfort, experiences and attitudes. Furthermore, the project included studies on crash test dummies (ATDs) and Human Body Models (HBM). Moreover, adult morphed HBMs were developed in various sizes, ages and sexes, for investigating various protection principles. In novel studies, crash interventions strategies were applied to predicted residual crash configurations. User-studies provided evidence of self-selected passenger postures in real car settings and, thus, deviations from standardized ATD positions. The importance of body shape was highlighted in a beltfit user-study including older adults. Essential booster design parameters were identified for children in upright and reclined seat positions. Restraint principles were investigated for adults in reclined seat positions and with the seat in rearward positions, away from the frontal airbag and knee bolster, along with an evaluation of the capabilities of the assessment tools. The adult HBM morphed to various sizes, ages and sexes were validated for prediction of in-crash kinematics in different impact scenarios, and provided enhanced insights in passenger protection assessment compared to the three standardized sizes of ATDs. Simulations with PIPER6y, a child-sized HBM, emphasized the importance of vehiclebooster-user system interaction. The results from the research project provided input to safety system development, ATD/HBM design, assessment methods development, and a number of identified research challenges for future work. Specifically, there is a need to further explore car passenger interaction with the restraint system in terms of seat positions and variations in body sizes, shapes and postures. The inclusions of the heterogeneous population into more advanced tools such as HBMs are essential, acknowledging that when moving closer to “zero injuries”, the situations to address are more unique and specific. Although a large range of studies using different methods was conducted, many challenges still remain to cover the entire scope of passenger safety in future cars.
9.
Osvalder, Anna-Lisa, 1961, et al.
(författare)
Adult’s and Children’s Attitudes towards Extra Seat Belts in the Rear Seats
2017
Ingår i: Conference proceedings International Research Council on the Biomechanics of Injury, IRCOBI. - 2235-3151. ; 2017-September:RC-17-52, s. 341-352
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat) abstract
There is an increased risk of the shoulder belt slipping off in certain crash configurations, resulting in sub-optimal protection. An extra seat belt would improve the restraint system. The objective of this study was to identify children’s and adult’s attitudes toward extra seat belts added to the three-point belt in the rear seat of a passenger car. Five focus groups were conducted with 11 Swedish children (8-10 years), and 18 adults. Two concepts were studied, the Backpack with an extra belt over the inboard shoulder, and the Criss-Cross with an extra belt across the torso. The results showed that seat belt usage was not questioned. The three-point belt was experienced as very safe, and extra seat belts were considered to further increase safety. Both concepts were accepted, but Criss-Cross was preferred due to greater perceived safety and comfort. Discomfort occurred in both concepts due to chafing at the neck, extra pressure on the upper body, and reduced ability to move. In conclusion, extra seat belts were in line with children’s current attitudes toward car safety, while adults were more hesitant. Increased understanding of user attitudes provides input to future restraint system design, resulting in attractive systems with improved restraint function.
10.
Osvalder, Anna-Lisa, 1961, et al.
(författare)
Misuse of Booster Seats. A laboratory observation study on children’s performance during buckling up on an integrated booster cushion and an aftermarket booster cushion.
2007
Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt) abstract
Motor vehicle crashes are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among children in the age group of 4 to 8 years. It is of utmost importance that the child is using correct restraints when seated in the car, taking into consideration age, length and weight. Booster cushions are important and effective tools in the effort to protect young children from injuries in car crashes. Injuries to abdomen and spine are nearly completely eliminated in accidents with children seated correctly on booster cushions compared to only seat-belts. Though, despite all benefits, there still remains a high amount of non-use and misuse of booster cushions. Therefore it is a need for continuous improvement of the safety for rear seated children. Studies of integrated booster cushions in the rear seat have shown benefits compared to aftermarket booster cushions, both in increasing the use rate and minimising the problems of misuse of the belt during buckling up, as well as better protection of the children in car crashes.The purpose of this study was to create a deeper knowledge about how children in the age between 4-12 years perform when they are buckling up on booster cushions in the rear seat. Two concepts of booster cushions were included; an integrated booster cushion (IBC) and an aftermarket booster cushion (BC). In addition, buckling up with seat belt only was also studied for the older children. The aim of the study was to obtain information of potential misuse; i.e. type and frequency of misuse, belt slack, and time to buckle up. Furthermore, the aim was to identify if age of the children and wearing a winter jacket had an effect.In total, 130 children in the age of 4-12 years participated in the study. The distribution between boys and girls was equal, as well as between children wearing or not wearing a winter jacket. The children were from the region of Göteborg and surroundings, where traffic safety aspects often are highlighted, due to large car manufactures in the area. Only children with some experience from booster cushions/seats were used as test subjects. During the tests session, each child buckled up on an integrated booster cushion (IBC) and an aftermarket booster cushion. The older children (8-12 years) also buckled up with seat belt only. Interviews, observations and measurements of height, time to buckle up and amount of belt slack were made. Photographs were also taken to document belt fit.The results showed that 77% of the children failed to perform correct belt routing under when buckling up on BC. Nearly all cases were severe misuse. Although the majority of the children were familiar with an aftermarket booster cushion with guiding loops for the belt, this high misuse rate occurred. The misuse rate for IBC was only 4% (5 cases of 128 children). For seat belt only no misuse was shown. According to the traffic regulation, children shorter than 1350 mm should use additional protective equipment than the seat belt when travelling in cars, which is equal to 54% of the children included in the study. However, only 26 % stated that they used a booster cushion/seat, which is alarming from a safety point of view. To conclude; the integrated booster cushion concept has many advantages compared to an aftermarket cushion with guiding loops, both from a safety and comfort point of view. It is easy and quick to handle; has few possibilities to misuse, has an intuitive design, the buckling up sequence is equal to buckling up with the ordinary seat belt, and younger children can buckle up correctly. The majority of children 6 years and older buckle up themselves today, and travel in cars several days a week. They need a restraint system that is comfortable and intuitive in design, easy and quick to handle, to achieve a high usage rate and maximum protection during a crash. The integrated booster cushion concept fulfils most of these demands to a high extent.
