Aircraft have been one of the most important means of travel for years. It is known that they produce a considerable amount of emissions. Technological advancements have created enough room for innovation in mobility, including aviation.

Elysian Aircraft is a company with the vision to 'redefine zero-emission air travel,' focusing on medium flights in the category of regional airliners with their upcoming aircraft, the E9X. Additionally, the company aims to redefine the air travel experience as well. This project focuses on the interior design of this aircraft.

In general, comfort in air travel has been an important field that has attracted researchers until now. Over the years, the demand for air travel has increased, with airlines aiming to fit the maximum number of passengers while ensuring some level of comfort. However, whether this is sufficient overall is debatable.

Looking at society as a whole, it has been observed that people miss the sense of carefreeness as a consequence of today’s way of living and distance from nature.

Nature-inspired design can provide psychological benefits, and this was envisioned for the project, starting with the passenger cabin layout. In this concept, passengers can sit in a way similar to their experiences in nature, creating a foundation for the later development of the aircraft interior.

This study investigates the ergonomic needs and comfort levels associated with Non-Driving Related Activities (NDRAs) in Level 3 and Level 4 automated vehicles, focusing on the impact of seating posture, seat adjustment, and pressure distribution. Through a combination of seat adjustment data, skeleton tracking, and pressure analysis, the research identifies the most comfortable postures and evaluates the performance of two different car seats. The findings reveal significant differences in pressure distribution and subjective comfort, particularly in the upper back and neck regions. Users exhibited a preference for more reclined and relaxed postures in Level 4 settings, highlighting the need for enhanced seat adjustability to accommodate individual body dimensions and postural preferences. The study emphasizes the importance of personalized seat features and adjustments to optimize user comfort in autonomous vehicles, providing valuable insights for future seat design in this rapidly evolving automotive landscape.

This study investigates passenger postures in future Level 5 autonomous vehicles (AVs) where the absence of driving responsibilities allows for greater freedom in seating. Building on existing literature on AV development and posture analysis, the research explores how passengers might position themselves when free from the constraints of traditional car seats.

To examine these natural postures, participants were invited to construct a "Build-Your-Own" seat using foam blocks, enabling them to achieve their most comfortable positions during various non-driving-related activities (NDRAs) while also sitting in an existing car seat as a comparison. Thirty-six participants, with diverse anthropometric characteristics, were involved in the study. The research setup ensured ethical considerations were addressed, and a range of measurement methods were used to capture joint angles and subjective comfort levels.
Results indicated that participants rated the Build-Your-Own seat significantly higher in comfort compared to conventional car seats, especially for the upper body and limbs. Analysis of joint angles revealed key differences in the shoulders, thighs, knees, and ankles, suggesting that future vehicle seats might need to be designed with these areas in mind for enhanced comfort. The study also noted that the Build-Your-Own seat allowed for more diverse and less predictable postures, particularly during activities such as Rest and Relax or Sleep, where freedom of movement was highly valued.

Further analysis of posture support highlighted the importance of armrests for certain activities and the necessity of calf support for others. The study also found that crossed-leg postures were preferred by a significant portion of participants, suggesting that future vehicle designs should accommodate such variations.

Comparative analysis between the one-g NBP (Neutral Body Posture) derived from this study and existing zero-g NBP data, as well as recommended joint angles for SUVs, revealed challenges in directly applying these models to future car seat designs. The influence of gravity on posture was significant, indicating that optimal joint angles in a zero-g environment might not directly translate to one-g conditions.

The study concludes that future AV seating designs should consider the diverse and dynamic postures passengers may adopt, emphasizing the need for more adaptable and supportive seating solutions. Future research should focus on asymmetrical postures and longer-duration studies to better understand the long-term effects of different seating configurations, especially in the context of crossed-leg postures.

Overall, this research provides valuable insights into passenger comfort in Level 5 AVs and suggests directions for future vehicle seat design that prioritize natural and comfortable postures in a gravity-influenced environment.

The aim of this master thesis is to “provide a deeper understanding of the (dis)comfort experience of side supports in an automotive seat.” The goal is to provide recommendations for design and eventually a (re)design of comfortable side supports in car seats. With the future prospect of an autonomous, shared and electric driving experience, side supports might obtain new purposes supporting the passenger. There is a need of objectifying the (dis)comfort of side supports in current and in future car seats to gain insight into relationships to human anthropometry, performed activities and the design of seats. A literature review 2 presents an alteration on the comfort models of Vink & Hallbeck (2012) and Naddeo (2014), aimed at improvement of the physical seat and components. All relevant objective comfort measurements and parameters and variables of the seat and passenger are structured, explained and their optimal (dis)comfort values are described. Scientifical evidence relating side supports to (dis)comfort is marginal and should therefore be studied. The effect of changing the variables of a side support (height, foam hardness, contour and cover friction) are studied in their relation to (dis)comfort. Both static and dynamic (dis)comfort is evaluated, alongside pressure recordings and characterization, looking for the optimal design of a car seat bolster and backrest wing. A redesign of a BMW 5 Series seat, lowers the bolsters from 55mm to 40mm, decreasing discomfort while relatively maintaining a high proportion of its (dynamic) comfort. The backrest wings is fitted with a soft (2kPa) cut foam with 15mm thickness at the side, gradually becoming thinner to the main surface. This preserves low discomfort in widest adjustment and increases dynamic comfort in narrow setting. Internal evaluation in a realistic and long-term driving environment proved its successfully improved comfort. Future autonomous driving, its concept interiors and use cases; intelligent entrance, transition, boost, life experience and holistic health; are analysed, looking into technological developments and consequences for the interior and use of a car. Various secondary activities; relaxing, sleeping, laptop and device work, social interaction and in/egress; are identified and analysed, confining the required space and optimal posture for the design of a conceptual future autonomous car seat. A new 6D adjustable seating concept is developed. The seat has an alteration on the current adjustment system, adding a lateral rail for sideways movement, a planetary gear for normal axis rotation and an individually controlled 4-beam mechanism, enabling the roll rotation alongside height adjustment. The seat requires medium-firm upholstery, supporting the body and distributing pressure at the buttocks and shoulder areas. The cushion is 100mm high, made of a latex rubber. Airbag size should be larger in reclined positions and smaller in upright positions to increase safety.