Subjective and Objective Seat Feature Acoustic and Vibration Response 2021-01-1075

Compressors, fans, and valves in seats used for occupant height adjust, lumbar, heating, and cooling can be objectionable if felt or heard. An approach to measure subjectively and objectively both vibration and noise experienced by a seated occupant will be described along with results, ranking, statistical significance, correlation, and suggestions for noise control. The objective portion included acoustic measurements through a binaural headset worn by each occupant and vibration measurements were recorded using a seat pad accelerometer disc at the buttocks and a source accelerometer. A subjective questionnaire with Likert, Borg, Magnitude Estimation, Semantical Differences, and Ranking based questions was obtained from 9 subjects. The transfer path the vibration energy takes to reach the receiver, vibration or acoustic, will be explored with transfer function measurements and a discussion of potential mitigation techniques: source mounting, encapsulation, and other design modifications.