Monitoring Occupant Posture Using a Standardized Sensor Interface with a Vehicle Seat

Car safety can be enhanced by enabling the Airbag Control Unit (ACU) to adaptively deploy different charges based on the occupant’s position once the crash occurs. In this context, monitoring the occupant’s position using a sensorized seat integrated with an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) offers a practical and cost-effective solution. However, certain challenges still need to be addressed. The adoption of sensorized seats in research and vehicle set-up is still under consideration. This study investigates an interface device that can be reconfigured to suit almost any seat model. This reconfigurability makes it easily adaptable to new vehicles under development and applicable to any passenger seat in the vehicle. This paper details the device’s design, including its programming using calibration and monitoring features, which significantly improves its reliability compared to earlier prototypes. Extensive testing through real driving experiments with multiple participants demonstrated an accuracy range of 45–100%. The testing involved both drivers and passengers, showcasing the device’s ability to effectively monitor various in-car scenarios.