The story of erl, or how to improve interior car design and seating comfort
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Transcript of The story of erl, or how to improve interior car design and seating comfort
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THE STORY OF ERL, OR HOW TO
IMPROVE INTERIOR CAR DESIGN AND
SEATING COMFORT.Mac Reynolds, Ph.D.
1/15/2013
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Hi! My name is ERL. I’m a 4’11” female driver model and I can tell the car manufacturer what you, the customer, feels in the
seat before the car is built.
US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138
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For example, a small woman drove this car and said
“cushion- a little long - …head rest- a little hard to
move, orientation bad - ... - too close to steering wheel - back rest lateral too low and
are pushing my arms”
US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138
![Page 4: The story of erl, or how to improve interior car design and seating comfort](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062712/55d4da9dbb61ebab7b8b4684/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Measurements of me show the “cushion is too long and too
wide, and the lower backrest is too narrow while the upper backrest is too wide.” I am
sitting too close to the steering wheel and I can barely reach the
pedal.
US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138
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I am a virtual design tool for interior engineering.
US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138
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I am one of nine driver models developed in the Ergonomics
Research Lab (ERL) at Michigan State University in 1999. The green model is “Oscar,” the
SAE model.
US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138
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I’m 6’3” tall and Oscar has my
legs.
I’m 5’10” tall and Oscar has my
torso.
US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138
![Page 8: The story of erl, or how to improve interior car design and seating comfort](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062712/55d4da9dbb61ebab7b8b4684/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Oscar is a dimensional tool but he is the first driver model in
the virtual car at the manufacturer.
US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138
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ERL models can sit in the virtual car with postures
that real drivers use. Erect
Neutral
Slumped
US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138
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Dimensions from ERL in the virtual car measure comfort and calculate a score that
correlates with real driver’s comfort scores.
US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138
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ERL sits in a virtual car seat so dimensions measure how you will fit in the seat driving the
car.
Headliner
Mirror
Instrument Panel
US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138
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I’m 6’3”. Does that seat fit me?
US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138
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You use the same muscles and bones that I do. They are just larger. So, design
has to optimize the car seat for body landmarks.
US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138
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Look, he is supported at landmarks we
share. Should
er
Chest
Lumbar
Buttocks
US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138
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We sit in different postures because I’m short and you’re tall. The seat has to fit us both and we have to see the road and traffic signals to
drive the car.
US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138
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I never have trouble seeing the road, I just don’t have room in the
car.
There are lots of problems, and if ERL
was sitting in the virtual car at the
beginning of design, engineers could fix
them.
US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138
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Instead, manufacturers start with “Oscar” and how drivers sat in
cars they had built and sold. They repeat the past and expect a
better future!
US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138
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The government requires manufactures to use Oscar to measure the head restraint
position for your safety.
US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138
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Do you feel the head restraint interferes with your
ability to sit and drive the car?
Yes
No
Yes
YesYes Yes
Yes
NoNo
US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138
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Six “Yeses” represent 84% of all drivers in the
world.
US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138
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In conclusion, real drivers need manufacturers to design and validate the car interior with
ERL.
US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138
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Thanks for reading my story. For more information, contact
Mac Reynolds ([email protected]).
US Patents: #6,840,125, #7,047,831, #7,347,114, #7,797,138