Guidelines for adapting the vehicle interior for comfortable smart phone use.

Passengers often use a smartphone while traveling in the train, airplane, bus, and perhaps in the future in the automated driving car. Ideally, future designs should support this smartphone use to prevent discomfort. The smart phone is often used with two elbows on the armrests. However, the armrest height could be too low and cause neck flexion. This study focuses on a guideline for the appropriate height level of the armrest while using the smartphone. Participants performed four main smart phone activities: listening to music, texting, watching, and reading on the phone in a train seat. The anthropometric data, and the neck, trunk, and elbow ankle were recorded. Based on these data the height level of the armrest was calculated. The results show that the height level of the armrest should be adjustable between 184-295 mm. above the seat pan. If there is no possibility to make it adjustable 243 mm is advised. Future steps could be the design and mechanism of the armrest, or another tool that can help to hold the smartphone.

旅客在乘坐火车、飞机、巴士出行时常使用智能手机，未来在自动驾驶汽车（automated driving car）中，该使用场景亦有望普及。理想的座椅设计应适配此类智能手机使用行为，以规避乘坐不适感。用户常以双肘搭靠扶手的姿势使用智能手机，但扶手高度若过低，可能引发颈部屈曲。本研究旨在制定智能手机使用场景下扶手适宜高度的设计规范。受试者在火车座椅上完成四类典型智能手机操作：聆听音乐、收发短信、观看视频与阅读文本。研究同时采集受试者的人体测量学（anthropometric）数据，以及颈部、躯干、肘部与踝部的姿态数据。基于上述数据，研究人员计算得出扶手的适宜高度范围。结果显示，扶手高度应可在座垫（seat pan）上方184至295毫米之间调节。若无法实现可调节设计，则建议将扶手高度固定为座垫上方243毫米。后续研究可围绕扶手的结构设计与调节机制展开，或研发可辅助握持智能手机的配套装置。