With the evolution of Autonomous Vehicles for the near future, BMW has designed a new seat for their vehicles, whose aim is to offer the greatest amount of comfort possible. Their main challenge now is to transform this level of comfort even when passengers want to sleep on the road, or while charging their vehicles. When it comes to confined spaces such as seats, obtaining a comfortable sleep has always been a challenge.

Taking into account the difficulty in achieving comfortable sleep in a seat, one of the main goals of BMW is to further enhance this seat within the context of sleeping. Sleeping is becoming one of the most popular activities among those passengers during a journey, and it is expected to grow with the integration of fully autonomous vehicles. Therefore, the first goal of the project is to analyze the seat to ensure maximum comfort when sleeping, and the second goal is to tackle the main area of discomfort with a design proposal.

For this, a thirty-minute sleeping research is conducted with sixteen participants, evaluating two different backrest angles (120º and 140º). The results show a preference of reclined backrest of 140 degrees, and an increase in comfort compared to sleeping in conventional seats. All participants had a good nap with this reclination, with an average amount of sleep of fourteen minutes. Regarding the seat analysis, the most uncomfortable part of the seat is the headrest, due to the lack of support for neck and head, and the lack of height adaptability to different demographics. The second area of discomfort is the leg support and the lack of footrest.

With these results in mind, the second goal is to develop an attachable head support that can be integrated in the BMW seat, for offering more comfort while sleeping in a reclined position. The main requirement considered is to make it adjustable in the area of head, neck, and height of the user.

The proposed design consists of two main components: a head support and a neck support. An integrated mechanism in the foam allows the adjustment of both to the width of the head and neck. In addition, a mechanism allows adjusting the height of the support to the desired position. Different prototypes are developed to assess the viability of the design features and feasibility for its integration in the seat.

A subsequent user test involving ten participants is conducted to validate the comfort and functionality of the design. The participants were asked to sleep in the seat making use of the new support. In order to obtain more objective results, four pressure sensors are integrated in the product to calculate the ideal pressure distribution exerted by the users. The data obtained from the sensors corroborated findings from literature research. Additionally, the support significantly increases the comfort after a thirty-minute nap in comparison to sleeping without support.

The evolution of the automated driving industry liberates users from driving tasks, thus creating more time for Non-Driving-Related activities (NDRAs), thereby transforming the car from a mere mode of transport to a mobile activity platform. This shift presents two main challenges: predicting the type of activities passengers will engage in within the automated cars and adapting the car’s interior design to accommodate these activities. This project tackles these challenges with a focus on comfort, ergonomics, and user activity, promising valuable insights for the interior design of future automated vehicles.

A rigorous review of literature spanning 2014 to 2023 was conducted, with a focus on NDRAs in automated vehicles. The review retrieved 2315 papers from various databases, from which 47 articles encapsulating 66 cases and 50 types of activities were selected based on strict eligibility criteria. These activities were then categorized into 13 clusters, with the top five being Entertainment and online activities, Work and productivity, Interpersonal communication and interaction, Sleep and relaxation, and Observation and monitoring.

An exploratory experiment was conducted within a simulated automated vehicle environment to study the ergonomic and spatial needs of five significant NDRAs. These activities were the most representative of each of the five main clusters: talking to passengers, looking out the window, working on a computer, sleeping, and using an iPad for entertainment. This investigation filled a crucial research gap, providing valuable insights for designing more ergonomic and comfortable interiors for future automated vehicles.

The project further leveraged 3D modeling and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies to analysis the spatial requirements of users engaging in the identified NDRAs within a Range Rover Evoque. The research indicates that the current interior design of the Range Rover Evoque can accommodate average-sized (P50) users performing 5 major Non-Driving-Related activities at small or medium comfort joint angles, yet struggles to support larger comfortable joint angles, particularly for activities such as sleeping, entertainment, or work. The results suggest a future design could include slimmer seats and dashboards and potentially transition from a four-seater layout to a two or three-seater layout to provide more space for users for activities.

After evaluation of initial concepts for future automated vehicle interior design, I have combined their strengths and minimized their shortcomings to develop a final iteration. This design focuses on flexible space allocation by incorporating a slim dashboard and thinner seats and can shift between a standard four-seat configuration to a 2 or 3-seater layout, and include independent seats, and an adjustable table to cater to various user needs, setting the stage for the future of comfortable Non-Driving-Related activities within vehicles.

In conclusion, this project integrates theoretical and practical approaches, focusing on user activities and comfort in automated vehicles. The study leaves out considerations of commercial viability, manufacturing, and socio-cultural aspects. Future improvements should include these factors and align design with commercial and manufacturing realities.