Ergonomic and Anthropometric Evaluation of Locally Manufactured Vehicle Seats.

BACKGROUND: Most of the cars are imported as cargo vehicles and then converted into commercial passenger vehicles in Ethiopia. Seats are locally manufactured and installed as part of the conversion to passenger cars, with little regard permitted for the standard specifications required.

OBJECTIVE: A descriptive survey, an ergonomics assessment of passenger seats was conducted, and subjective evaluations of seat comfort were collected.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: For long journeys, there are problems of discomfort, back pain, and human fatigue. Anthropometric measurements of respondents and locally manufactured seats were used to conduct an objective evaluation of seat attributes.

RESULTS: The findings revealed that the passengers' body proportions and the seat dimensions differ significantly and are not given any preference during design and fabrication of the seat.

CONCLUSION: This study recommends the anthropometric dimensions of the Ethiopian passengers for the design and manufacturing of the vehicle seats.