Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Assessment of biomechanical demands and discomfort in drivers to stablish design criteria for truck seats

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
International Journal on Interactive Design and Manufacturing (IJIDeM) Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

By modifying the angle of the seat pan, this research aimed to determine the ideal seated posture for drivers of trucks while having the best balance between a lower load on the lumbar spine and the perception of discomfort. Eighteen drivers underwent simulated driving tasks; they operated a video game on cruise mode with steering wheel, pedals and visual demand. Four driving tests were performed in periods of 10 min, which is enough time to make the subject familiar with the seat. After every test, participants had to stand up and walk for 1 min, then exercise for 25 s, allowing the relaxation of the back. This study suggests that a \(5^{\circ }\) seat pan tilt, generates more kyphotic posture and more pressure on the seat, however this tilt together with the position of \(-5^{\circ }\) reported lower values in the perception of discomfort. No significant differences were found between the pressure on the seat (p \(=\) 0.88) and the perceived discomfort (p \(=\) 0.94); Pearson’s coefficients revealed a weak dependence between the pressure on the seat and the perceived discomfort (r = 0.14). Further analysis concluded that some angles of seat pan, have less biomechanical demand while a high perception of discomfort, indicating that positions with less biomechanical load on the spine does not guarantee that those are really comfortable.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Wilke, H., Neef, P., Caimi, M., Hoogland, T., Claes, L.E.: New in vivo measurements of pressures in the intervertebral disc in daily life. Spine. 24 (1999)

  2. Callaghan, J.P., McGill, S.M.: Low back joint loading and kinematics during standing and unsupported sitting. Ergonomics. 44, 280–294 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Van Nieuwenhuyse, A., Fatkhutdinova, L., Verbeke, G., Pirenne, D., Johannik, K., Somville, P.R., Mairiaux, P., Moens, G.F., Masschelein, R.: Risk factors for first-ever low back pain among workers in their first employment. Occup. Med. 54, 513–519 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Villanueva, M.B., Sotoyama, M.: Adjustments of posture and viewing parameters of the eye to changes in the screen height of the visual display terminal. Ergonomics. 39, 933–945 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Chen, S.-M., Liu, M.-F., Cook, J., Bass, S., Lo, S.: Sedentary lifestyle as a risk factor for low back pain: a systematic review. Int. Arch. Occup. Environ. Health. 82, 797–806 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Massaccesi, M., Pagnotta, A., Soccetti, A., Masali, M., Masiero, C., Greco, F.: Investigation of work-related disorders in truck drivers using RULA method. Appl. Ergon. 34, 303–307 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Lis, A.M., Black, K.M., Korn, H., Nordin, M.: Association between sitting and occupational LBP. Eur. Spine J. 16, 283–298 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Ministerio de la Protección Social de Colombia: Guía de atención integral de salud ocupacional basada en la evidencia para dolor lumbar inespecífico y enfermedad discal relacionados con la manipulación manual de cargas y otros factores de riesgo en el trabajo. Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá (2007)

  9. Miyamoto, M., Konno, S., Gembun, Y., Liu, X., Minami, K., Ito, H.: Epidemiological study of low back pain and occupational risk factors among taxi drivers. Ind. Health. 46, 112–117 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Miyamoto, M., Shirai, Y., Nakayama, Y., Gembun, Y., Kaneda, K.: An epidemiologic study of occupational low back pain in truck drivers. J. Nippon Med. Sch. 67, 186–190 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Vergara, M., Page, A.: Relationship between comfort and back posture and mobility in sitting-posture. Appl. Ergon. 33, 1–8 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Karwowski, W., Marras, W.: The occupational ergonomics. Hand book. CRC Press, Estados Unidos (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  13. de Looze, M.P., Kuijt-Evers, L.F.M., van Dieen, J.: Sitting comfort and discomfort and the relationships with objective measures. Ergonomics. 46, 985–997 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Lelong, C., Drevet, J.G., Chevallier, R., Phelip, X.: Biomécanique rachidienne et station assise. Rev. Rhum. 55, 375–380 (1988)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Jouvencel, M.R.: Ergonomía Básica. Aplicada a la medicina del trabajo, Ediciones Diaz Santos, Madrid, España (1994)

  16. Zenk, R., Franz, M., Bubb, H., Vink, P.: Technical note: Spine loading in automotive seating. Appl. Ergon. 43, 290–295 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Poncet, C.: Contraintes, confort et appuis extra-rachidiens (2011)

  18. Marras, W.S., Davis, K.G., Ferguson, S.A., Lucas, B.R., Gupta, P.: Spine loading characteristics of patients with low back pain compared with asymptomatic individuals. Spine. 26, 2566–2574 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. van Dieen, J.H., Cholewicki, J., Radebold, A.: Trunk muscle recruitment patterns in patients with low back pain enhance the stability of the lumbar spine. Spine. 28, 834–841 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Lamoth, C.J.C., Daffertshofer, A., Meijer, O.G., Moseley, G.L., Wuisman, P., Beek, P.J.: Effects of experimentally induced pain and fear of pain on trunk coordination and back muscle activity during walking. Clin. Biomech. 19, 551–563 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Dunk, N.M., Callaghan, J.P.: Lumbar spine movement patterns during prolonged sitting differentiate low back pain developers from matched asymptomatic controls. Work J. Prev. Assess. Rehabil. 35, 3–14 (2010)

  22. Andersson, B.J., Ortengren, R., Nachemson, A.L., Elfström, G., Broman, H.: The sitting posture: an electromyographic and discometric study. Orthop. Clin. North Am. 6, 105–120 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Harrison, D.D., Harrison, S.O., Croft, A.C., Harrison, D.E., Troyanovich, S.J.: Sitting biomechanics, part II: optimal car driver’s seat and optimal driver’s spinal model. J. Manipulative Physiol. Ther. 23, 37–47 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Rasmussen, J., Tørholm, S., de Zee, M.: Computational analysis of the influence of seat pan inclination and friction on muscle activity and spinal joint forces. Int. J. Ind. Ergon. 39, 52–57 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Naumann, A., Rötting, M.: Digital human modeling for design and evaluation of human-machine systems. MMI-Interakt. 12, 27–35 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Gironimo, G.D., Pelliccia, L., Siciliano, B., Tarallo, A.: Biomechanically-based motion control for a digital human. Int. J. Interact. Des. Manuf. IJIDeM. 6, 1–13 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Arroyave-Tobón, S., Osorio-Gómez, G.: Ergonomic analysis in conceptual design stage using a gesture-based modelling tool. Int. J. Interact. Des. Manuf. IJIDeM. 1–8 (2015)

  28. Carcone, S.M., Keir, P.J.: Effects of backrest design on biomechanics and comfort during seated work. Appl. Ergon. 38, 755–764 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Haynes, S., Williams, K.: Impact of seating posture on user comfort and typing performance for people with chronic low back pain. Int. J. Ind. Ergon. 38, 35–46 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Grujicic, M., Pandurangan, B., Xie, X., Gramopadhye, A.K., Wagner, D., Ozen, M.: Musculoskeletal computational analysis of the influence of car-seat design/adjustments on long-distance driving fatigue. Int. J. Ind. Ergon. 40, 345–355 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Helander, M.G., Zhang, L.: Field studies of comfort and discomfort in sitting. Ergonomics. 40, 895–915 (1997)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Tilley, A.R.: The measure of man and women. Wiley, New York (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  33. Fernandez, J.E., Poonawala, M.F.: How long should it take to evaluate seats subjectively? Int. J. Ind. Ergon. 22, 483–487 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Chaffin, D.B., Andersson, G.B., Martin, B.J.: Occupational Biomechanics. Wiley, New York (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  35. Harrison, D.D., Harrison, S.O., Croft, A.C., Harrison, D.E., Troyanovich, S.J.: Sitting biomechanics Part I: review of the literature. J. Manipulative Physiol. Ther. 22, 594–609 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Delangle, M., Petiot, J.F., Poirson, E.: Using motion capture to study human standing accessibility: comparison between physical experiment, static model and virtual ergonomic evaluations. Int. J. Interact. Des. Manuf. IJIDeM. 1–10 (2016)

  37. Polášek, P., Bureš, M., Šimon, M.: Comparison of digital tools for ergonomics in practice. Procedia Eng. 100, 1277–1285 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Zhang, X., Chaffin, D.B.: Digital human modeling for computer-aided ergonomics. Handb. Occup. Ergon. Taylor Francis CRC Press Lond, Boca Raton (2005)

  39. Regazzoni, D., Rizzi, C.: Digital human models and virtual ergonomics to improve maintainability. Comput. Aid. Des. Appl. 11, 10–19 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  40. Webber, B.L., Phillips, C.B., Badler, N.I.: Simulating humans: computer graphics, animation, and control. Cent. Hum. Model. Simul. 68 (1993)

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS), Cra 27 Calle 9, Bucaramanga, Colombia

    María-Fernanda Maradei

  2. Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (PUJ), Cra 7 No 40-62, Bogotá, Colombia

    Leonardo Quintana

  3. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB), Km 7 Apta a Piedecuesta Campus UPB, Bucaramanga, Colombia

    Javier-Mauricio Castellanos-Olarte

Authors
  1. María-Fernanda Maradei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Leonardo Quintana
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Javier-Mauricio Castellanos-Olarte
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Javier-Mauricio Castellanos-Olarte.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Maradei, MF., Quintana, L. & Castellanos-Olarte, JM. Assessment of biomechanical demands and discomfort in drivers to stablish design criteria for truck seats. Int J Interact Des Manuf 10, 431–437 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12008-016-0325-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12008-016-0325-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation