Final Project

Final Project

Since, I am tackling my Final Project as my company’s project, I am writing Final Project’s detail idea in my NDA folder(only accessible to limited person).

Outline: Develop “Semi Active Kinetic Seat”

One example of the “Semi Active Kinetic Seat” control system outline is as follows; My strong intention for the final project is
to achieve this active control without spoiling the “original Kinetic Seat function”

Structure

• Latest version of Kinetic Seat for Kenya (made of bamboo and natural material)
• Motor (linear or step?)
• Linkage to provide torque to swing sub-frame of Kinetic Seat
• Rotary sensor to sense motor angle position
• Wire or wireless net work VS vehicle
• Test vehicle with CANVAS net work connection for actual test driving at Toyota Proving Ground
• Car Driving Game with display and steering wheel for FAB26 workshop booth to collect feedback from FAB26 audience

Benefit

• Prevent all passenger’s Car Sickness
• Improve driver to vehicle engagement
  More benefits are written in my NDA folder(only accessible to limited person).

Base Seat will be a new FABLAB.able Kinetic Seat

Principle of Kinetic Seat: Both seat backrest and seat bottom (pelvis) cushion is suspended by flexible belts by fixing the rotational axis position but allowing the rotational motion.

1st prototype of FABLAB.able Kinetic Seat made in Kenya

Initial Development Schedule

Postponing my graduation

Because of the material “3mm thickness bending wood plate which simulates stripped bamboo” I have ordered arrived with insufficient condition with cracks in most of them, I need to ask the supplier for processing new pieces again to be in time for my Kenya project as well.

Revised Development Schedule

This made my project very difficult to complete within May since I have to complete the ver2.0 seat until 1st week of June for Kenya visit aiming FAB26 Talk…
Then, I decided to to postpone my graduation.

My FInal Project Requirement

• What does it do?

  The Seat (mainly bottom cushion) moves in advance of vehicle event such as turning to the left or braking so that the passenger (1) can anticipate the event and (2) posture will be ready for the coming event for good riding comfort free from car sickness.

• Who’s done what beforehand?

  There are several company and institutes to develop active seat like this. Here under are well known examples but not so effective…

• Can Passengers’ Active Head Tilt Decrease the Severity of Carsickness? Effect of Head Tilt on Severity of Motion Sickness in a Lateral Acceleration Environment: Shun’ichi Doi, et-al. Kagawa University

• Experimental Investigation of the Efficacy of Preemptive Tilting Seats in mitigating Carsickness:Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Michigan

• BMW’s active seat bolsters use air-powered bladders inside the seat back, controlled by an electric pump and valves, to dynamically adjust lateral support and stabilize the occupant during cornering.

Comparison of Motion Sickness Mitigation Technologies (summarized by Chat GPT5.5)

by following Prompt:

Are there any European automotive manufacturers that have developed products or technologies in which the seat or cabin actively moves to reduce motion sickness?

In addition, if there are any English-language academic papers or technical publications on similar approaches, could you please provide them?

Category	Representative Example	What Is Actively Controlled / Moved	Positioning as a Motion Sickness Countermeasure
Active seat tilting	University of Michigan PREACT / Preemptive Tilting Seat System	Seat posture and passenger body orientation	Closest to the concept of my Kinetic Seat; aims to prepare the passenger’s body in advance for upcoming vehicle motion, but opposite phase from Kinetic Seat’s
Active vehicle body / chassis control	Porsche Active Ride / ZF sMotion	Vehicle body attitude, suspension, pitch and roll motion	Closest among production-oriented technologies; reduces or compensates body roll/pitch and can modify acceleration forces felt by occupants.
Motion-optimized driving style	Jaguar Land Rover Wellness Score	Acceleration, braking, steering behavior, vehicle dynamics, and cabin settings	Future-oriented approach for autonomous vehicles; adapts vehicle behavior and cabin conditions to reduce passenger sickness.
Sensory cue / cabin environment control	Mercedes-Benz airflow and ambient lighting patent	Cabin airflow, ambient lighting, visual/tactile motion cues	Attempts to reduce sensory mismatch by giving occupants additional motion cues through the cabin environment.
Integrated motion sickness mitigation	BMW patent: seat system + vehicle stabilization + display	Seat adjustment, vehicle stabilization system, and display/visual information	Integrated system concept combining seat motion, chassis/body control, and visual feedback; currently best understood as a patent-level concept.

Short Summary by Chat GPT5.5

Among these technologies, Porsche Active Ride is the closest example of a production vehicle technology that actively changes vehicle body motion.

For seat-based motion sickness reduction, the University of Michigan PREACT / Preemptive Tilting Seat System research is the closest to the concept of a Kinetic Seat, but Opposite phase which is not so effective in my study.

Katoh-san’s FABLAB.able Kinetic Seat may be differentiated from these approaches by focusing not only on physical restraint or vehicle body control, but also on pelvic, spinal, and head-motion-based perception design for reducing motion sickness.

• What did you design?

  Semi-Actively motor controlled FABLAB.able Kinetic Seat version 2.0 of which bottom cushion (and seat back) moves by motor with unique linkage system. The motor is controlled by micro computer by the input of CAN signal of autonomous driving.
  • FABLAB.able Kinetic Seat version 2.0 consists of half Plywood by CNC milling and half Bamboo by handmade with digitally made molding

• What sources did you use?

• What materials and components were used?

  • 18mm thickness Plywood
  • 3mm thickness Bending Wood (or stripped Bamboo)
  • Seat Belts (from Discarded Car)
  • Serial Bus Servo Motor (STS3215)
  • Strain Gage with Amplifier
  • MISUMI Combined Bearing
  • MISUMI Bearing Case
  • Spring
  • XIAO ESP32C3
  • Potentiometer
  • 3D Printed PLA parts
  • φ10mm shaft with bolt
  • M10 nuts
  • M6 bolts and nuts

• Where did they come from?

• How much did they cost?

  Block	Name	Size	Required Number	Cost	Vender	Note
  Seat Main Frame	Plywood	18mm x 910 x 1820	1	¥4500
  	φ10mm shaft with bolt
  	M10 nuts
  Sear Swing Frame	Bending Wood / or Bamboo	3mm x 40 x 640	3 x 8 + 3 x 4 x 4 = 72
  	Seat Belt	1mm x 47 x 1000	25		from Discarded Car
  	M6 Bolts
  	M6 Nuts
  Semi-Active Controlling part	Serial Bus Servo Motor (STS3215)		1
  	MISUMI Combined Bearing
  	MISUMI Bearing Case
  	Spring
  	XIAO ESP32C3
  	Potentiometer

• What parts and systems were made?

• What processes were used?

• What questions were answered?

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• What worked? What didn’t?

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• How was it evaluated?

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• What are the implications?

Materials

Qty	Description	Price	Link	Notes
1	Material one	22.00 $	http://amazon.com/test	Order many
1	Material two	22.00 $	http://amazon.com/test
1	Material three	22.00 $	http://amazon.com/test
1	Material five	22.00 $	http://amazon.com/test
1	Material eight	22.00 $	http://amazon.com/test
1	Material twelve	22.00 $	http://amazon.com/test
1	Material eleven	22.00 $	http://amazon.com/test