Nissan unveils ‘fatigue-free’ car seats
Nissan is developing 'fatigue-free' seats to cut driver and passenger fatigue and make long periods of driving a more pleasant experience.
The company borrowed research and analysis from NASA to create the comfort seat, taking inspiration from the 'neutral position' which humans take on in a weightless environment.
Through a joint research program with Yamazaki Laboratory at Keio University, using a seat simulator and a musculo-skeletal model for seating analysis, Nissan reduced loads to the smallest amount on each muscular and spinal area from the seated position.
The company then used control of the distribution of local deformation characteristics around the seat back in its initial shape to help realise optimal support.
The neutral posture concept is said to provide continuous support from the pelvis to the chest, reducing muscular and spinal loads, improving blood flow and thereby reducing fatigue over long periods.
