To hold the driver in the right place, comfortably, for the length of an endurance stint, and to present information without distracting them.
A molded seat insert made from 2-part marine expanding foam, formed to each individual driver in the car, post-processed by hand and covered in fire resistant fabric. It sits in the seat, the belts route around and through it, and it velcros to the firewall, so it is interchangeable between drivers in minutes. A headrest using SFI 45.2 foam and leather upholstery, on a backing plate. A 6-point harness providing shoulder, lap and anti-submarine restraint. Heel cups, 3D printed in PA6-CF, give heel support so the driver can modulate the pedals precisely and consistently. The dash panel carries the display, the switches and the brake bias knob.
Support the individual driver rather than the average driver. A per-driver molded insert is cheap, light (the booster is 0.1 lb) and interchangeable, so there is no reason to compromise on a single shared shape. Comfort is a performance parameter, not a courtesy. Lap deltas fell measurably once seat inserts were introduced. 1. Take driver body measurements and place them against the ergonomics study ranges. 2. Mold the seat insert to the driver in the car with expanding foam, then hand post-process and cover. 3. Set headrest and harness mounting to the rules and to the driver's shoulder height. 4. Run a simulator or on-track endurance stint and measure fatigue with EMG. 5. Iterate the insert shape at the identified pressure and support points.
- Reduce measured driver fatigue over a stint. - Provide lateral and back support under high g without pressure points. - Keep inserts quick to swap between drivers. - Keep the dash readable without obstructing the driver's line of sight; non-reflective finishes to avoid glare.
- Support gaps at the lower back, hips, upper lats and side-to-rear delts, identified in the anthropometric study. - Visibility of the dash for shorter drivers, and of the DDU-11 past the wheel rim. - Seat and cockpit pressure points over long stints.
Delsys EMGworks EMG with MATLAB FFT post-processing. The driver simulator for repeatable stints. Anthropometric measurement of the driver pool. SolidWorks for the cockpit sketch.