Auto seat design for comfort and speed to market
ERL LLCJanuary 27, 2011
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GM CEO Dan Akerson wants to speed up
vehicle development!
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Can vehicle development speed up using a classical
industrial design iteration process and
1960’s tool for seats?
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OEM’s Design
The Speed Dilemma!
Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
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OEM’s Design
Production Car
The Speed Dilemma!
Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
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OEM’s Design
Production Car
The Speed Dilemma!Suppliers
develop seat!
Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
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January February March April
May June July August
September October November December
January February March April
May June July August
September October November December
Process requires 24+ months for seat supplier
to design & develop seat!
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Why does the Supplier, not the OEM, design the seat?
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Process has always lacked tools, and tools first developed in 1960s have been incorporated in industry standards and government regulations.
The Culture
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Today, OEM says, “Supplier, here’s design position, build a seat, we will
test it.”
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Interiors begin at OEM with design position and no
seat!
“Oscar” in Design Position
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What does Design Position definein the interior architecture for the seat?
‣ Seating Reference Point: Oscar’s “hip”
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What does Design Position definein the interior architecture for the seat?
‣ Seating Reference Point: Oscar’s “hip”
‣ Oscar’s Back Angle
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What does Design Position definein the interior architecture for the seat?
‣ Seating Reference Point: Oscar’s “hip”
‣ Oscar’s Back Angle
‣ Seat Travel (fore-aft, up-down, tilt)
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What does Design Position definein the interior architecture for the seat?
‣ Seating Reference Point: Oscar’s “hip”
‣ Oscar’s Back Angle
‣ Seat Travel (fore-aft, up-down, tilt)
‣ Controls position and travel
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What does Design Position definein the interior architecture for the seat?
‣ Seating Reference Point: Oscar’s “hip”
‣ Oscar’s Back Angle
‣ Seat Travel (fore-aft, up-down, tilt)
‣ Controls position and travel
‣ Head Restraint & vision “eyellipse”
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What does Design Position definein the interior architecture for the seat?
‣ Seating Reference Point: Oscar’s “hip”
‣ Oscar’s Back Angle
‣ Seat Travel (fore-aft, up-down, tilt)
‣ Controls position and travel
‣ Head Restraint & vision “eyellipse”
Where’s the seat?
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First prototype seat is built for design position represented by Oscar and
experience!
OEM Seat Supplier
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Supplier’s seat is installed in OEM’s “mule” and drivers
evaluate comfort!
OEM Seat Supplier
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Iterations begin!
First Iteratio
n
OEM & Supplier
H-pt Test
Driver Comfort Test
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Iterations continue until OEM’s requirements are
met!
5+ Iteratio
ns
OEM & Supplier
H-pt Test
Driver Comfort Test
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The Culture: iterative design process develops
seat!
Pro
ductio
n
Design Iteration
s
OEM Seat Supplier
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The Seat: To improve,consumer speaks but who
learns?
Pro
ductio
n
OEM Supplier
Sales VolumeJ. D. PowerConsumer Reports
Consumer
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Lessons Lost: Circular logic & lengthy manual process repeats
itself in Seats!
OEM Consumer
3+ Years
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Physical Iterations are:
Seat Design, world-wide, follows the same iterative
process.
Slow
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Physical Iterations are:
Seat Design, world-wide, follows the same iterative
process.
Slow
Expensive
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Physical Iterations are:
Seat Design, world-wide, follows the same iterative
process.
Slow
Expensive
Unreliable
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Physical Iterations are:
Seat Design, world-wide, follows the same iterative
process.
Slow
Expensive
Unreliable
Difficult for process to learn lessons
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Culture change is hard & painful!!!
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Culture change is hard & painful!!!
Change occurs when VALUE ($) > PAIN
($).
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Examples of Need to Change Process
Analysis shows process is unreliable for many drivers
Can one seat comfortably fit all body sizes?
04/12/202333
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The process, worldwide, fails to meet 7.5 comfort score for small female
(SF) drivers.
06 B
MW
X3
07 B
MW
328
xi
07 A
udi A
4
09 Fi
at 5
00
06 V
W P
assa
t
06 S
aab
9-5
06 C
hevr
olet
HHR
05 C
hrys
ler 3
00
06 Fo
rd E
scap
e
08 T
oyot
a Pr
ius
07 H
onda
Fit
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Seating Comfort by Manufacturer
Total
SF
MM
LM
Ma
th S
ea
tin
g C
om
fort
Sco
re
SF
LM
35
The process, in Europe, fails to meet 7.5 comfort score for small female
(SF) drivers.
06 B
MW
X3
07 B
MW
328
xi
07 A
udi A
4
09 Fi
at 5
00
06 V
W P
assa
t
06 S
aab
9-5
06 C
hevr
olet
HHR
05 C
hrys
ler 3
00
06 Fo
rd E
scap
e
08 T
oyot
a Pr
ius
07 H
onda
Fit
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Seating Comfort by Manufacturer
Total
SF
MM
LM
Ma
th S
ea
tin
g C
om
fort
Sco
re
Europe
SF
LM
36
The process, in the US, fails to meet 7.5 comfort score for small female
(SF) drivers.
06 B
MW
X3
07 B
MW
328
xi
07 A
udi A
4
09 Fi
at 5
00
06 V
W P
assa
t
06 S
aab
9-5
06 C
hevr
olet
HHR
05 C
hrys
ler 3
00
06 Fo
rd E
scap
e
08 T
oyot
a Pr
ius
07 H
onda
Fit
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Seating Comfort by Manufacturer
Total
SF
MM
LM
Ma
th S
ea
tin
g C
om
fort
Sco
re
Europe
US
SF
LM
37
The process, in Japan, struggles to stay above 7.5 score for SF & Large
Male drivers.
06 B
MW
X3
07 B
MW
328
xi
07 A
udi A
4
09 Fi
at 5
00
06 V
W P
assa
t
06 S
aab
9-5
06 C
hevr
olet
HHR
05 C
hrys
ler 3
00
06 Fo
rd E
scap
e
08 T
oyot
a Pr
ius
07 H
onda
Fit
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Seating Comfort by Manufacturer
Total
SF
MM
LM
Ma
th S
ea
tin
g C
om
fort
Sco
re
Europe
US Japan
SF
LM
Production Seat: Can OEM know this before seat is
built?Driver says:
“cushion - a little long”
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ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US#7,047,831, US#7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
Driver says:
“cushion - a little long”
“head rest - a little hard to move, orientation bad”
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ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
Production Seat: Can OEM know this before seat is
built?
Driver says:
“cushion - a little long”
“head rest - a little hard to move, orientation bad”
“too close to steering wheel”
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ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
Production Seat: Can OEM know this before seat is
built?
Production Seat: Can OEM know this before seat is
built?Driver says:
“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”
Driver Score 7.0/10.0
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ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
Design Position Error:Seat height was too high for small females.
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ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
Original Design Position
Heel didn’t touch floor.
In process, seat heightwas corrected but in development process,
seat length, head restraint and wings were not.
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ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
Production Vehicle
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Head restraints and frames can create discomfort for shorter
drivers (up to 60% female and 25% male drivers).
ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
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Math comfort scores show inconsistency in cars
for small, average, and large drivers.
Range of Math Comfort ScoresTotal
VehicleSmall
FemaleAverage
Male Large Male
Ave. 8.7 6.9 9.0 8.0
Worst
Pontiac G6 7.7
Chrysler T&C 4.7
Pontiac G6 7.9
Toyota Prius 6.5
Best Cadillac CTS 9.3
BMW 5308.3
Cadillac CTS 9.7
Buick LaCrosse
8.9
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Math comfort scores show inconsistency in cars
for small, average, and large drivers.Range of Math Comfort Scores
Total Vehicle
Small Female
Average Male Large Male
Ave. 8.7 6.9 9.0 8.0
Worst
Pontiac G6 7.7
Chrysler T&C 4.7
Pontiac G6 7.9
Toyota Prius 6.5
Best Cadillac CTS 9.3
BMW 5308.3
Cadillac CTS 9.7
Buick LaCrosse
8.9Math scores accurately predict subjective scores with correlation of 0.8.
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The Goals: reduce cost and time & increase comfort for
all driversChange process to meet these goals with virtual seat design
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“I’d like to understand why {vehicle X} just feels so “totally right” the minute you slip into the seat, get feet on pedals, and grab the wheel.”
Bob Lutz – Retired Vice Chairman of General Motors
In 2003,
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Virtual seat design optimizes “totally right” for all drivers to shorten development time and reduce expenses for the manufacturer.
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In virtual seat design, OEM says, “Supplier, here
are the specs, build the seat!”
ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
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The seat is as essential as the steering wheel and needs to be an integral part of the data that define the interior of the car!
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Virtual seat design changes development
from iterations to specifications.
ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
OEM
Pro
ductio
n
Supplier
Specifications
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One seat for all! Improve smallfemale “totally right” feeling by 58%.
Production Score = 4.8 ERL Virtual Score = 7.6
ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
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Reality Check: does production miss“totally right” for small female driver?
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One seat for all! Improve large male “totally right” feeling by 20%.
Production Score = 7.4 ERL Virtual Score = 8.9
ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
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Reality Check: does production miss“totally right” for large male driver?
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1. Population: Drivers
Seat design &development optimizes:
2. Seat: Biomechanics & Comfort
3. Ergonomics: Driving Task
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Population: Small drivers prefer aneutral posture but Vision is a problem.
Erect (E)
Neutral (N)
Slumped (S)
Small Female (5th %)
Vision
ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
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Population: Medium drivers prefer a neutral posture but seat shape is a
problem.
Erect (E)
Neutral (N)
Slumped (S)
Small Female (5th %)
Vision
Medium Male (50th
%)
Controls Reach
ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
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Population: Large drivers prefer a neutral posture but legroom is a
problem.
Erect (E)
Neutral (N)
Slumped (S)
Small Female (5th %)
Vision
Large Male (95th %)
Legroom
Medium Male (50th
%)
Controls Reach
ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
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Oscar (SAE J826) represents one driver in the global
population.
ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
Small Indian Woman
Large American Male
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The iterative seat design process struggles to optimize drivers’ needs in one seat for all drivers.
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Seat: 3 critical regions for drivers.
Head Restraint for Safety Regulations creates slumped posture.
ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
64
Seat: 3 critical regions for drivers.
Head Restraint for Safety Regulations creates slumped posture.Biteline pushes
driver into slumped posture.
ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
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Seat: 3 critical regions for drivers.
Head Restraint for Safety Regulations creates slumped posture.Biteline pushes driver
into slumped posture.
Seat length for tall and short drivers.
ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
Chest
Lumbar
Buttocks
Thigh
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ERL Seat Design supports same four regions in every
driver’s body.
ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
Load-Bearing Regions
Seat Contact Regions
Top of Seatback
Bottom of Seatback
Head Restraint
End of Cushion
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ERL Seat Design contacts every
driver’s body in four sitting areas.
ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
Load-Bearing Region in Seat Seat Contact Region in Seat
Top of Seatback
Chest
Lumbar
Bottom of Seatback
Buttocks
Thigh
Head Restraint
End of Cushion
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ERL Seat: Same biomechanical
sitting objectives for all drivers.
ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
Small Female
Large Male
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Ergonomics: Objective variables must
be designed “totally right” for all drivers.Large
Slumped Male
Head Restraint for 202a
Small Erect Female Large Slumped
Male
Track Angle & Seat
Position
ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US #7,047,831, US #7,347,114, US #7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
Line of Sight
Right/Left Hand Reach Curves
Virtual Design: calculate “totally right”
fit for all drivers in 142 controls variables!
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Controls Package Seat Driver & PassengersDesign Position & Track Material Properties (Stiffness) Population (Small to Large)
Seat Travel Windows Seat Shape: Centerline & Wings Joint Angles (Comfort)
Mirror & Headliner Adjustable Head Restraint & Lumbar
Seat Support (Biomechanics)
Accelerator Meat-to-Metal & Manufacturability Controls: Reach
Steering Wheel Frame: Size, Adjusters & Recliners Vision: Line of Sight
142 Variables 440 Variables 268 VariablesERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US#7,047,831, US#7,347,114, US# 7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
Virtual Design: calculate “totally right”
fit for all drivers in 440 seat variables!
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Controls Package Seat Driver & PassengersDesign Position & Track Material Properties (Stiffness) Population (Small to Large)
Seat Travel Windows Seat Shape: Centerline & Wings Joint Angles (Comfort)
Mirror & Headliner Adjustable Head Restraint & Lumbar
Seat Support (Biomechanics)
Accelerator Meat-to-Metal & Manufacturability Controls: Reach
Steering Wheel Frame: Size, Adjusters & Recliners Vision: Line of Sight
142 Variables 440 Variables 268 VariablesERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US#7,047,831, US#7,347,114, US# 7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
Virtual Design: calculate “totally right”
fit for all drivers in 268 driver variables!
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Controls Package Seat Driver & PassengersDesign Position & Track Material Properties (Stiffness) Population (Small to Large)
Seat Travel Windows Seat Shape: Centerline & Wings Joint Angles (Comfort)
Mirror & Headliner Adjustable Head Restraint & Lumbar
Seat Support (Biomechanics)
Accelerator Meat-to-Metal & Manufacturability Controls: Reach
Steering Wheel Frame: Size, Adjusters & Recliners Vision: Line of Sight
142 Variables 440 Variables 268 VariablesERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US#7,047,831, US#7,347,114, US# 7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
Virtual Design mathematically fits 4744 dimensions for all drivers in 850
variables!
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Controls Package Seat Driver & PassengersDesign Position & Track Material Properties (Stiffness) Population (Small to Large)
Seat Travel Windows Seat Shape: Centerline & Wings Joint Angles (Comfort)
Mirror & Headliner Adjustable Head Restraint & Lumbar
Seat Support (Biomechanics)
Accelerator Meat-to-Metal & Manufacturability Controls: Reach
Steering Wheel Frame: Size, Adjusters & Recliners Vision: Line of Sight
142 Variables 440 Variables 268 VariablesERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US#7,047,831, US#7,347,114, US# 7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
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Since the iterative process works and is used by all manufacturers, why change?
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Value of Virtual Seat Design outweighs the cost of change!Months faster time-to-market.
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Value of Virtual Seat Design outweighs the cost of change!Months faster time-to-market.
Design one seat in each vehicle for all drivers to feel “totally right.”
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Value of Virtual Seat Design outweighs the cost of change!Months faster time-to-market.
Design one seat in each vehicle for all drivers to feel “totally right.”
Engineers and designers collaborate with objective and verifiable math data.
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Value of Virtual Seat Design outweighs the cost of change!Months faster time-to-market.
Design one seat in each vehicle for all drivers to feel “totally right.”
Engineers and designers collaborate with objective and verifiable math data.
Tools retain lessons learned for engineers and designers at OEM and Supplier.
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OEM’s CarSupplier’s Seat
ERL Patents: US #6,840,125, US#7,047,831, US#7,347,114, US# 7,797,138, EU #1019693 & Patents Pending
ERL’s Virtual Seat Design brings them together!