This study explores the integration of a custom-designed pneumatic spring into a car-seat cushion and its interaction with a simplified human body model using the Finite Element Method (FEM). A 3D half-symmetry FEM framework, developed from experimental data, ensured computational efficiency and convergence. This research bridged experimental and numerical approaches by analyzing the contact pressure distributions between a seat cushion and a volunteer with representative biometric characteristics. The model incorporated two material groups: (1) human body components (bones and muscles) and (2) seat cushion materials (polyurethane foam, latex, and fabric tape). Mechanical properties were obtained from both the literature and experiments, and simulations were conducted using MSC.Marc software under realistic boundary and initial conditions. The simulation results exhibited strong agreement with experimental data, validating the model’s reliability in predicting contact pressure distribution and optimizing seat cushion designs. Contrary to the conventional notion that uniformly distributed contact pressure inherently enhances comfort, this study emphasizes that the precise localization of pressure plays a crucial role in static and long-term seating ergonomics. Both experimental and simulation results demonstrated that modulating the pneumatic spring’s internal pressure from 0 kPa to 25 kPa altered peak contact pressure by approximately 3.5 kPa (around 20%), significantly influencing pressure redistribution and mitigating high-pressure zones. By validating this FEM-based approach, this study reduces dependence on physical prototyping, lowering design costs, and accelerating the development of ergonomically optimized seating solutions. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of human–seat interactions, offering a foundation for next-generation automotive seating innovations that enhance comfort, fatigue reduction, and adaptive pressure control.
PdRuM ternary solid‐solution‐alloy nanoparticles exhibit highly durable and active catalytic performance for automotive emission gas purification, which will result in a significant reduction in catalyst cost compared to rhodium. The work presented by Kohei Kusada, Michihisa Koyama, Hiroshi Kitagawa, and co‐workers in article number 2005206 provides insights into the design of highly durable and efficient functional catalysts, guiding how to best take advantage of the configurational entropy in addition to the mixing enthalpy.
6 May 2021 in Journal of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics
The inverse dynamics method is applied to the investigation of dynamical behavior of a parallel manipulator. The substructure technique is used for creating a differential-algebraic system of equations that describes motion of the Stewart-Gough platform. The system of equations is modified into a...