IN THE DRIVERS SEAT
Cars That Make You
Feel Good,
Really BY RITA COOK
010 SUMMER • INSIDER
IN THE DRIVERS SEAT
B
etween daily commutes and long
distance trips you have to admit a
car can easily become a person’s
second home. Even if you only drive 20
minutes a day however, did you know
your vehicle is still prone to causing you
a large number of ergonomic problems -problems that over time can easily lead to
unnecessary health issues.
plays are almost always recommended
on contrasting backgrounds since vision
research suggests these colors seem to
have the best legibility. For older drivers,
analog displays are normally preferred because it’s easier to read than digital.
Fast forward to the new Chevrolet Volt,
an innovative vehicle with two sources
of energy a lithium-ion battery and gaspowered generator that brings with it a
great deal of information for the driver;
eco-friendly and ergonomically correct.
“Ease of recognition and use is our priority,” Smythe says of the Nissan brand.
That’s especially if you don’t know what
you’re looking for like seats, which can be
the cause of bad posture or a lack of leg
room, improper seat height or a steering
wheel that is not properly adjusted.
Using Frank Lloyd Wright’s design theme
‘Form Follows Function,’ Smythe explains
that the Nissan folks have considered
same with an added tagline ‘Innovation
for All.’
Chevrolet Volt Interior Design Manager
Tim Greig says “Before we even began designing the interior of the Chevy Volt we
established main objectives for example,
“flawless ergonomics.”
Since not everyone is going to be able to
drive that high-end Mercedes Benz model
that screams “king of ergonomics,” then
it’s a good idea to know what else is out
there.
Specifically, Smythe points out that the
Nissan LEAF meets strict economy of
space engineering requirements because
of its drive train, yet at the same time provides a generous interior that emphasizes
roominess. These attributes are refined
during studio model evaluations, where
balance is found between vehicle size and
ergonomic targets with engineering and
styling.
The Nissan brand, a company that says
it’s proud to be ergo-friendly has options,
for example, the LEAF. Got a yearning
for ergo and eco-friendly then the new
Chevy Volt is another go-to option.
“The bottom line is that making automobiles easy to use accommodates older
drivers, younger drivers and passengers,”
says Lawrence Smythe EdD, Principal Engineer, Human Engineering for the Nissan
Technical Center. “For example, easy entry and exit is often a physical packaging
priority for older customers and families
with children. Age is a factor in cognitive
capabilities and for older drivers, the auto
industry uses recommended practices
[including] scientific research and internal
guidelines for instrument panel displays,
seats and physical accommodations.”
Another suggestion, the colors yellow,
orange, yellow-greens and white dis-
“The art of creating a fun to drive, comfortable vehicle, is part of our global creative personality,” he adds.
The art of creating a fun
to drive, comfortable vehicle, is part of our global
creative personality.
Ergonomic big hitters include controls
and displays logically grouped and strategically located so all are within a comfortable reach and fully visible from a
seated position; the interface between
the driver/passengers with the vehicle is
simple and intuitive; the interior provides
a “no excuses” storage that is functional,
large, easy-to-get-at and located where
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Chevy Volt
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IN THE DRIVERS SEAT
Nissan LEAF
CONTINUED FROM PG. 11
customers expect; a feeling of spaciousness in regard to interior surfaces pushed
away from occupants; plenty of room for
elbow and knee movement; no obstructions blocking ingress/egress; access to
controls or storage areas and no obstructions blocking outward visibility. Finally,
Greig says it was important for the Volt
to have supportive seats for a feeling of
in-control driving, yet not restrictive with
minimal reflections in glass and on interior displays and surfaces.
“New on the Chevy Volt too that’s not
on other vehicles are the dual digital displays on the instrument panel,” Greig says.
“This allowed us to maximize intelligibility
of the information and minimize distractions.”
Another interesting ergonomic point for
the Volt is the gear-shift pattern. Since the
Volt is fundamentally an electric vehicle,
it really only needs forward, reverse, and
park positions. However, Volt bigwigs decided that today’s drivers are familiar with
the conventional shift pattern order: park,
reverse, neutral and drive so they opted
012 SUMMER • INSIDER
not to change it. Again, ergo-friendly.
To most automotive interior designers,
ergonomics focuses on making sure customers can safely and comfortably drive
their vehicles, but there are also the
smaller factors that play into it as well
called “minimizing distractions.”
Nissan LEAF
Ergonomics focuses on
making sure customers
can safely and comfortably
drive their vehicles, but
there are also the smaller
factors that play into it as
well called “minimizing
distractions.”
“Distractions can pop up if customers do
not understand a graphic on a display, or
how to operate a control, or where to
find a control,” says Greig. “Distractions
can come from not being able to reach
something comfortably, even their own
personal items they brought with them.
Or distractions can come from just being uncomfortable, either from a seat
that has poor contours or surfaces that
do not allow for freedom of arm or leg
movement.”
Smythe says that one main factor for design inclusion is to keep in mind that people are information impatient and drivers
are results oriented. Therefore the information required to operate the controls
and displays in their vehicle needs to
meet their personal levels of acceptable
and efficient effort.
Land Rover, another ergonomically friendly option has the best of both worlds
since it’s also all about four-wheeling in
IN THE DRIVERS SEAT
comfort. With easy to maneuver dials
and seats that are user-friendly, this one
not only excites the adventurous spirit,
but will also make you feel good -- literally. With ergo-friendly soft-touch interior
and contemporary tech amenities think
eight-way power front seats and tilt-andtelescoping steering wheel, its luxury SUV
all the time. On the HSE LUX package
there’s even the Climate Comfort addition with front and rear heated seats and
a heated steering wheel.
and therefore the ergonomic packaging of
each type of vehicle is only comparable
with similar profile vehicles.
Ergonomically friendly vehicles balance
attributes and affordances within the personality of each model and Smythe says it
is no coincidence that customers evaluate
the friendliness of vehicles relative to their
own priorities. Therefore, someone’s priorities for an ergonomically ‘friendly’ vehicle might be one car now and another
when they have children. Ergonomically
‘friendly’ when you have kids changes to
passengers and cargo so priorities change
“The range of acceptable effort varies, but
generally speaking economy of decision is
best, less is more,” Smythe concludes. “As
such, core driving functions need to integrate seamlessly with device usability and
functionality. Consequently, the challenge
to ergonomics practitioners is to provide
the right information, at the right time,
in the right sensory modality and in the
right place.”
While overall common sense is the name
of the game when making ergonomic adjustments to your daily drive whether it
be with the help of one of Nissan’s ergonomically correct options, the ecofriendly Volt or a four-wheeling Land Rover, it also means taking the time to think
through what works for you.
Chevy Volt
Chevy Volt
Chevy Volt
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