Seat simulator | LF Technologies

Customer

Aeronautic

Our client is the French Institute of Transport, Planning and Networks Sciences and Technologies (IFSTTAR). IFSTTAR is a major player in European research in various fields such as transport and infrastructure.

Manufactured product

Airplane, train and car seats

Objective

To determine objective criteria for measuring the comfort of a seat in order to design new types of seats for aeronautics or the automobile industry, and to establish statistical laws for comfort in use.

Problematic issues

The equipment should be able to simulate different seat geometries and quantify the interaction between the seat and the occupant. The conformer is intended for use by adults, covering a wide range of transport users, including overweight people (up to 120 kg).

Solution and result

LF Technologies has designed a seat conformer for the customer to meet its various requirements. The conformer is made up of several actuators ensuring the position control of sub-assemblies:

overall tilt of the conformer
2D displacement of the floor, 3D displacement of the seat, inclination of the backrest, and 2d adjustment of each of the 3 lumbar, dorsal and head supports.

The seat is equipped with a matrix of 52 cylinders, which can be controlled in position individually or in groups. Each cylinder is equipped with a support force measurement and a shear force measurement.

An automatic interference detection system between the different seat elements stops the movements to avoid collisions.

The control PC, via a program developed under LabVIEW, can carry out all the movements of the seat and the matrix, measure the positions and forces and modify certain parameters.

By default, 3 programmable interfaces are provided with the software:

Subject control" interface

This interface allows the connection with the supplied digital tablet, thanks to a Wi-Fi point, so that the operator can perform himself movements of the seat or the matrix.

Lumbar Palpation" interface

This interface allows movements of the lumbar support to be performed by "scanning" the subject's back at several points.

Matrix force distribution" interface

This interface allows you to enter the matrix cylinders to distribute the support forces as well as possible.

The software also allows to launch "programmable interfaces". These are developed in LabVIEW and communicate with the main software by receiving force and position measurements and sending position commands. These programmable interfaces can be developed by researchers and integrated directly into the machine control system. The user can also create configuration files for the seat and die, allowing them to save all measured positions and position the seat or die in any saved configuration.