Intelligent headrest design for rear impact safety and driver's convenience 2000-05-0263

This paper introduces intelligent headrest using DC motor, photo sensor, and piezo sensor. Intelligent headrest which follows driver''s head during driving can protect driver''s neck efficiently when the vehicle is crashed from rear direction.

This paper, we propose an intelligent method of headrest movement. For this method, at first, we had to obtain the optimum information that is the gap between driver''s head and headrest from 10 tested people who included beginner and expert drivers. At second, we developed new control method using this data. As it were, if driver''s head moves forward, headrest has to follow to driver''s head, or else if driver push headrest, headrest has to move backward. For this method, we used photo and piezo sensors. The photo sensor was installed to check the distance between head and headrest, and the piezo sensor was installed to check pressure from driver''s head to headrest.