Estimation of Seated Driver Eye Height Based on Standing Height, Weight, Seatback Angle, and Seat Bottom Angle

This paper presents an analysis on the position of driver eye height as a function of their standing height, weight, biological sex, seat back angle and seat bottom angle. Typically, eye heights are estimated based on standing height, or measured from a rigid seated position with a vertical seat back. While reasonably close, these estimated eye heights are generally not correct for individuals seated in deformable vehicle seats with non-vertical seat back angles. Thus, these measurements tend to overestimate the participants eye height in more ecologically probable scenarios, such as driver eye height while operating a vehicle. In this study, eye measurements were taken from a standing position and while seated on a rigid surface and then compared to the same participant’s eye height measured while seated on six different representative vehicle seats with seat back angles of 20, 25, and 30 degrees respectively. Furthermore, this study also measured for-aft positioning of the participant’s eyes relative to the anterior edge of the head restraint at each seat position. This study utilized three pickup truck seats, two light passenger vehicle seats, and one sport utility vehicle seat. This data outlines a methodology that can be used to estimate eye positions of other adult humans in deformable vehicle seats when only their standing height, weight, and biological sex are known, or even more precisely when general seat geometry is also known. This allows for more accurate recreations of first-person point-of-view lines of sight or visual obstruction analysis.