Car Seating & Posture
Car Seating & Posture
Driving is something we do on a daily basis and we presume that manufacturers know best when it comes to the ergonomic design of the automobile’s cockpit, pedals, steering wheel, seat belt, seating, posture etc…until one day we suffer from pain in one or more joint of our body causing us to wonder about the cause. How many of you suffer from knee pain or discomfort when driving for a medium distance? Have you ever thought why? Research into car seating and comfort began at IMAR when a patient presented with an abnormal callous formation at the lateral side of the heels, which after thorough investigation and assessment was found to be related to a change in automobile use. A change from a normal car to a 4x4 SUV lead to a change in seating posture which affected the lower limb position resulting in callous formation. Research into this area and other related car safety measures are prominent on our list of on-going projects in collaboration with industry.
Work presented at:
6th International Conference on Innovative Seating, 7th - 8th February 2011, Frankfurt, Germany.“Automobile Seating and Foot Posture: the Missing Link”.
