CORRELATION BETWEEN HUMAN ANTHROPOMETRIC DATA AND COMFORTABLE DRIVING POSTURAL ANGLES

CORRELATION BETWEEN HUMAN ANTHROPOMETRIC DATA AND COMFORTABLE DRIVING POSTURAL ANGLES

Darliana Mohamad, Baba Md Deros, Ahmad Rasdan Ismail and Dian Darina Indah Daruis

Abstract: Drivers fatigue is always associated with road accidents and fatalities. In general, fatigue is a result of long driving duration and static posture. Therefore, in designing a car driver’s seat, it is important to ensure a comfortable driving posture. In addition, presently car buyers have the preference to buy cars that incorporates safe and comfortable features. The main objective of this paper is to discuss the relationship between anthropometric data and comfortable driving postural angles. Forty five participants were involved in this study, which comprise of 19 females and 26 males. Both anthropometric data and postural angles measurement was measured and recorded by using photographic technique and analysed by using a software. During the experiment, each participant was required to sit on the driver’s seat in his or her preferred comfortable driving postures. Images of the participant’s driving posture was taken after five minutes he or she has been in the driving position to allow him/her adapt with the seat environment and fabrics. In order to get high level of data accuracy and reliability, body joints will be marked with sticker markers. Prior to that, 10 anthropometric data of each participant was measured and recorded. The anthropometric and the comfortable driving postural angles were analysed statistically with Pearson correlation using the SPSS software. The correlation relationship result showed that low positive correlation between the stature and elbow angle (correlation coefficient 0.398, p<0.01). Meanwhile, there are three relationships that show low negative correlation for the shoulder to elbow length; between the trunk-thigh angle (correlation coefficient -0.311, p<0.05) and the knee angle (correlation coefficient -0.298, p<0.05); and also between the elbow to grip length and the trunk-thigh angle (correlation coefficient -0.327, p<0.05). The experimental result shows that there is a correlation between the human body anthropometric data and the comfortable driving posture angles.

Keywords: Pearson correlation, anthropometric, driving postural angles, seat comfort.

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