title: Optimum seat pan and back-rest parameters for a comfortable tractor seat.
abstract: An experimental set up was fabricated to measure the pressure distribution on the seat pan and back-rest of a tractor seat. Experiments were conducted with four different seat pans having radius of curvatures of 60, 75, 90 and infinity cm, four back-rests with radius of curvatures of 30, 60, 90 and infinitity cm, and three back-rest inclinations of 0 degrees , 5 degrees and 10 degrees on representative Indian tractor operators. The subjective assessment of perceived comfort at the seat-operator interface was also recorded. Experiments were conducted in a randomized block design and the data obtained were analysed using suitable computer packages. Results indicate that all the parameters, namely seat pan, back-rest profile curvatures and the back-rest angle of inclination, affect the pressure distribution. It is concluded that a seat pan with radius of curvature 75 cm, back-rest with radius of curvature 30 cm and back-rest inclination of 10 degrees are the most suitable parameters for Indian tractor operators.
authors.affiliation: Agricultural and Food Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India. vktfeb@agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Tewari
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Prasad
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006804:Ergonomics; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008875:Middle Aged; D018986:Motor Vehicles; D016272:Occupational Health; D011312:Pressure