Quantitative prediction of overall seat discomfort.

Static seat characteristics (seat stiffness) and dynamic seat characteristics (vibration magnitude) can both influence judgements of seat comfort. It is proposed that seat comfort can be predicted on the basis of Steven's psychophysical law. The law is modified. The stiffness of foam loaded to 490 N may indicate static seat comfort, while the vibration dose value (VDV) on the seat surface may indicate vibration discomfort. Two experiments with 20 subjects investigated this approach. (A)