Task-based vehicle interior layout design using optimization method to enhance safety

This paper presents a virtual environment for conducting vehicle interior layout design. A virtual human called Santos™ that is biomechanically correct, has realistic musculoskeletal system, and natural motion/posture is created to live in this virtual world. One of the objectives of this virtual environment is to allow Santos™ to explore the interior package design such that one designs new defense and security vehicles without having to create a physical prototype to enhance safety, save time and cost. Different controls require different tasks, for example, pulling a clutch lever, pushing a button, turning a knob, and so on. Therefore, different tasks correspond to different human upper-body motions and hand loads, which in turn correspond to different displacement and torque at each joint. This is a dynamics problem for interior layout design with external loads. The formulation of dynamic equations of motion is implemented within optimization algorithm to predict joint profiles. This methodology allows Santos™ to help vehicle interior layout design while executing various tasks.