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Virtual drivers in math models can design and evaluate the seating package in all classes of vehicles. With the driver's seated geometry constrained by vision and reach to the steering wheel and pedal, seat design is optimized to support all drivers in three back postures to operate the vehicle. The position of each virtual driver model in the seat is calculated from a biomechanical model of seated load distribution with each model represented by functionally correct positions of pelvis and spine as well as the deflected shape of the seated body in a vehicle seat. This geometry is optimized to design or evaluate seats by changing boundary conditions of select variables and functions in the math tool. The math comfort score is calculated from the physical interface between the virtual drivers and the seating package. The weighted sum of scores for all virtual drivers is the population comfort score for the vehicle seating package.

A digital human body model is used to mathematically calculate occupant position in the vehicle package. The unoccupied seat shape that will support the digital human body model is optimized using a biomechanical model of the human body, a load-deflection model of the seat along with manufacturability and safety criteria. By unloading the seat at anatomically comparable landmarks for each digital human body model, as defined by gender and body size, the collection of points on the unoccupied seat surface define a patch. With 3 patches on the cushion and 4 patches on the back, two surfaces representing the centerline of the seat and seat insert can be defined for the population of occupants. This process can be done with constrained or unconstrained vehicle package geometry. The result is a “one seat fits all” design of the unoccupied deliverable seat given the requirements of the ergonomic task of driving the vehicle.