Provided are methods for automatically adjusting a vehicle seating area based on the characteristics of a passenger. In an example method, a seat adjustment system of a vehicle receives sensor data representing at least one measurement of a user exterior to the vehicle, determines at least one characteristic of the based on the sensor data, determines at least one modification to a seating area of the vehicle based on the at least one characteristic of the user, and causes the seating area to be adjusted in accordance with the at least one modification. Systems and computer program products are also provided.

A user destination is identified based on received location information from a user. A first seat in a vehicle is assigned to the user based on the user destination. At least one of the first seat and a second seat in the vehicle is moved upon user entry until a distance between the first seat and the second seat is greater than a distance threshold.

A vehicle seat control device including a control unit that, in a case in which at least one user has declared in advance a desire to board a self-driving vehicle having a plurality of seats that are switchable between a first state in which a user is able to sit down, and a second state that impedes a user sitting down, switches a same number of seats as a number of the at least one user to the first state before the at least one user boards the vehicle.

A system and method for evaluating pressure sensation of a vehicle seat in which body pressure sensors installed in a bolster of a seat cushion measure a body pressure are provided. The pressure sensation due to the bolster and a shield cover of the seat cushion is determined by analyzing the magnitudes of the measured body pressure and the distribution chart thereof. Whether the pressure sensation is caused by the bolster or the shield cover is determined based on the magnitudes of the body pressure and the distribution chart thereof to adjust the seat cushion to a position to release the pressure sensation.

The present disclosure provides a seat control system for a vehicle, which may sense whether passengers have been seated on a front seat and a rear seat, and easily implement sleep and rest postures of the front seat and the rear seat through the height adjustment, the reclining adjustment, and the like of the front seat and the rear seat according to the sensed result.

Embodiments herein are directed to a vehicle. The vehicle includes a passenger compartment and a master controller. The passenger compartment has a plurality of rear passenger seats disposed on a track. Each seat of the plurality of rear passenger seats is configured to move on the track. The master controller is configured to receive a first data from a wheelchair and to direct a movement of each seat of the plurality of rear passenger seats along the track. In response to receiving the first data, the master controller actuates at least one actuator to move at least one of the plurality of rear passenger seats along the track to provide a transportation space for the wheelchair based on the first data received from the wheelchair.

A utility vehicle includes a chassis and a work implement movably coupled to the chassis. An operator support is positioned within an operator cab. The operator support includes a seat and a backrest coupled to the seat. A position of the operator support is selectively adjustable relative to the chassis. The utility vehicle further includes a control system in communication with the operator support. The control system includes a sensor operable to sense a position of the work implement relative to the chassis, and a controller including a processor and a memory. The controller is configured to receive a signal from the sensor representative of the position of the work implement. The controller is further configured to generate a signal to automatically adjust the position of the operator support relative to the chassis based in part on the position of the work implement relative to the chassis.

To provide a technique that enables the reduction of fatigue of a vehicle occupant at low cost and without an increase in the number of parts. Without preparing a sensor in addition to a posture changing mechanism, the position of a lumbar vertebra or thoracic vertebra of each vehicle occupant is estimated by controlling the operation of the posture changing mechanism. The posture changing mechanism includes: a back side support mechanism; a first motor capable of shifting a position of the back side support mechanism with respect to a vertical direction; and a second motor capable of shifting the position of the back side support member with respect to a front-back direction. A position of a lumbar vertebra of the vehicle occupant is estimated by: while changing the vertical position of the back side support mechanism by means of the first motor, changing a forward position of the back side support mechanism at each of the different vertical positions thereof by means of the second motor so as to obtain a turnover number value of the second motor achieving a desired resistance; and comparing the turnover number values of the second motor achieving the desired resistance. A position of the thoracic vertebra is determined by calculation based on the position of the lumbar vertebra. The position of the posture changing mechanism is set based on the results of estimation of the individual positions. Thus, a fatigue reduction effect is provided on the vehicle occupant by utilizing the posture changing mechanism.

Various systems and methods are provided for determining a posture of an occupant of a vehicle. In one embodiment, a method comprises capturing images of an occupant in a vehicle via a vehicle camera, determining a current posture of the occupant and a recommended posture for the occupant based on the captured images and body measurements of the occupant, and outputting a guidance based on a difference between the current posture and the recommended posture. In this way, a comfort of the occupant may be increased by guiding the occupant toward a more ergonomic posture.

An artificial muscle chair device includes a plurality of artificial muscles embedded in a chair. Each artificial muscle includes a housing having an electrode region and an expandable fluid region. A first electrode and a second electrode each disposed in the electrode region of the housing. The artificial muscle chair device further includes a dielectric fluid disposed within the housing. The first and second electrodes electrostatically attract, inflating the expandable fluid region with dielectric fluid and thereby applying selective pressure to an outer surface of the chair.