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.

乘客在火车、飞机、巴士中时常会使用智能手机，未来在自动驾驶汽车中或许也会出现这类使用场景。理想的座椅设计应当适配此类智能手机使用行为，以避免使用者产生不适。人们使用智能手机时通常会将双肘置于扶手（armrest）之上，但扶手高度可能过低，导致颈部屈曲。本研究聚焦于智能手机使用场景下扶手适宜高度的设计指南。受试者在火车座椅场景下完成四项典型的智能手机使用操作：聆听音乐、收发短信、观看内容以及阅读手机内容。研究记录了人体测量学数据（anthropometric data），以及颈部、躯干、肘踝关节的相关参数。基于上述数据计算得出扶手的适宜高度范围。研究结果显示，扶手高度应当可在座椅坐垫（seat pan）上方184-295毫米之间调节；若无法实现可调设计，则建议将扶手高度固定为座椅坐垫上方243毫米。后续研究可围绕扶手的设计与调节机制展开，或开发其他可辅助握持智能手机的工具。