ASPECT: The Next-Generation H-Point Machine and Related Vehicle and Seat Design and Measurement Tools 1999-01-0962

The ASPECT program was conducted to develop new Automotive Seat and Package Evaluation and Comparison Tools. This paper presents a summary of the objectives, methods, and results of the program. The primary goal of ASPECT was to create a new generation of the SAE J826 H-point machine. The new ASPECT manikin has an articulated torso linkage, revised seat contact contours, a new weighting scheme, and a simpler, more user-friendly installation procedure. The ASPECT manikin simultaneously measures the H-point location, seat cushion angle, seatback angle, and lumbar support prominence of a seat, and can be used to make measures of seat stiffness. In addition to the physical manikin, the ASPECT program developed new tools for computer-aided design (CAD) of vehicle interiors. The postures and positions of hundreds of vehicle occupants with a wide range of body size were measured in many different vehicle conditions. Data from these studies were analyzed to develop posture-prediction models that will allow human CAD models to be used accurately for vehicle design. The ASPECT program also produced a CAD representation of the new physical manikin, and high-quality, three-dimensional surface representations of small-female, midsize-male, and large-male drivers. The new tools developed in the ASPECT program represent a major step forward for vehicle and seat design.