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An important issue in automotive seat comfort is reducing driver fatigue during long-term driving. In this paper, a finite element model of the seat and the human body was developed, and stress analyses around the lumbar vertebrae of the human body were carried out. A long-term driving test on a compact car seat was conducted by using a driving simulator, and increases in the stress hormone adrenaline in the urine of the subjects were measured. Correlations between physical seat data and increases in adrenaline were analyzed, and the seat parts causing body fatigue were identified. The results of the long-term driving test were compared with the results of the finite element analysis, and an attempt was made to clarify the mechanism responsible for the fatigue.

This paper compares a biomechanical cervical model developed by the authors to allow analysis of cervical vertebra behavior during low speed rear-end collisions versus the TRID-II *cervical model and Hybrid III type dummy standard cervical vertebra model and their structures. This paper also reports on a quantitative evaluation of effects of an automobile seat developed using their biomechanical cervical model to reduce whiplash injury.

Global environmental problems have become the focus of much attention in recent years as an issue to be dealt with on an international scale. To alleviate these problems, automobile manufacturers are attempting to develop recyclable body parts and reduce vehicle exhaust emissions. These efforts have spurred the development of Low Emission Vehicles (LEV) and recyclable materials. One type of LEV is called the Hybrid Electric Vehicle which functions as either an electric car or an internal combustion vehicle and can operate as either type according to driving conditions. This hybrid vehicle is superior to conventional automobiles due to reduced exhaust emissions yet has the disadvantage of increased weight since it holds motors, batteries, and drivetrain control systems as well as a conventional internal combustion engine. We succeeded in eliminating this disadvantage by developing a lighter body using aluminum structural material.