Exploration of Pressure Distribution and Comfort in Passenger Vehicle Seats

In order to investigate optimal comfort postures and body pressure distribution patterns for occupants of a zero-gravity seat in a passenger car, 34 participants were recruited to perform subjective comfort assessments and hydrostatic pressure distribution tests, comparing normal sitting postures with zero-gravity postures. Participants adjusted the seat to their most comfortable sitting position and their zero-gravity position, respectively, while pressure distribution data between their bodies and the seat were collected using pressure measurement equipment. A mixed-design ANOVA was then used to analyse the effects of participant percentile and posture on pressure distribution. The results indicated that: (1) body percentile significantly affected pressure in all regions; (2) seat posture significantly affected regional pressure; (3) zero-gravity posture exhibited a more even pressure distribution, with lower peak pressures, compared to seated posture.