Chair Development Based On Body Pressure Distribution – a Research Effort

Autors: Levente Denes, Balazs Bencsik, Peter Gyorgy Horvath, Reka Maria Antal

Abstract: Surveys and studies show that more and more employees perform high- or low-skilled white-collar work, predominantly in sitting postures. Therefore, comfortable sitting plays an important role in reducing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and other harmful effects. Research efforts focus on reducing these risks by designing ergonomic chairs with multiple
adjustments possibilities allowing the chair to fit to the user’s body shape or assuring a dynamic seating where the users lower body is in a continuous movement. This article summarizes the results of a research effort which evaluated the effect of several factors on the sitting comfort based on the body pressure distribution values. The effect of foam elasticity, foam layers
arrangement order, seat support elasticity was investigated as well as the chair seat type (kneeling chair, saddle chair). Research results were used to determine the optimal chair cushion including the layered foam system and seat support type. Based on findings a new ergonomic chair was developed combining the advantages of static and dynamic sitting.

Keywords: ergonomic chair, body pressure distribution, layered foam system, support elasticity, static-dynamic seating, flexible support

Presented at the Society of Wood Science and Technology International Convention, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, August 1-6, 2021.