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Car seats with a variety of adjustments and massage systems are available in many cars. It could increase comfort. In a vehicle, particularly a car, it is difficult to increase comfort by variation in posture, since the person has to concentrate on traffic conditions and steering. A car seat has to support the body, since various forces occur, such as acceleration, slowing down and lateral forces. The driver / passenger is well supported by the car seat, and spends a certain time there in an unchanged position. Due to these facts it is meaningful to integrate a massage activity system (MAS) into a car seat. In this way, it is possible to devote oneself fully to the task of driving and the surrounding traffic. A MAS can take control of revitalising and changing the sitting position of the car occupants. Until now, the effect of the use of massage systems and additional equipment such as lumbar support on the intervertebral discs has never been studied.

In modern society the automobile is an essential companion in everyday life. Be it commuting to and from work or during our leisure time – every week most of us spend many hours sitting in their car. In this context the seat is the main interface between the human being and the automobile itself. Functioning well, this close relationship can foster the well-being of the passenger and raise his spirit; being flawed, it can cause severe pain in the back after a long journey. Thus, for car manufacturers, the aspects of seat comfort are becoming more and more prominent in distinguishing themselves from their competitors. Despite its importance, the development of comfort parameters in automotive seating still is consigned to the subjective judgements of a small number of seating experts or randomly selected test subjects.

In modern society the automobile is an essential companion in everyday life. Be it commuting to and from work or during our leisure time - every week most of us spend many hours sitting in their car. In this context the seat is the main interface between the human being and the automobile itself. Functioning well, this close relationship can foster the well-being of the passenger and raise his spirit; being flawed it can otherwise cause severe pain in the back after a longer journey. Thus, for car manufacturers, the aspects of seat comfort are becoming more and more prominent in distinguishing themselves from their competitors. Despite its importance the development of comfort parameters in automotive seating is still being consigned to the subjective judgements of a poor number of seating experts or randomly selected test subjects.

A possibility to achieve a competitive advantage in the automotive industry is the development of car seats for people who love comfort (Looze et al., 2003). Today, there are many possibilities of relieving the strain for drivers and achieving well being driving long distances. To achieve more seat comfort, special attention is given to for instance the seat form, noise, odour, user friendliness and smooth “appealing” surfaces (Bronkhorst et al., 2005). An additional idea is the introduction of massage seats to increase the level of well being or comfort experience in the car. However, the question is whether it has any objective and subjective positive effects on drivers and passengers. There are some indications that a massage seat could have positive effects. Helander (2003) describes that blood circulation in sitting is very important for well being and feeling comfortable. In general there is belief that movement is important to reduce discomfort (Dieen et al., 2003).