Adjustable pedals in automotive design: a digital human modeling-based clearance and clash analysis

Although many interior vehicle components, including seats, steering wheels, and mirrors, are commonly adjustable in modern cars, many drivers and passengers still experience a poor occupant-vehicle fit. Subpopulations such as short, tall, and pregnant occupants encounter comfort- and safety-related concerns in the form of increased risk of airbag injury, a lack of legroom, and inadequate abdomen-steering wheel clearance. Despite the fact that pedal placement is a crucial factor that directly impacts a driver’s choice of seating position, pedal adjustability is only featured in a limited selection of modern vehicles. The early design approach proposed in this research work uses digital human modeling (DHM) to assess improvements to automotive occupant packaging as a result of implementing adjustable pedals. Three case studies are presented, depicting “what-if” scenarios that analyze clearance, clash, and pedal reach in generic, low-fidelity computer-aided design (CAD) vehicle models with short, tall, and pregnant occupants. The results of this study demonstrate how adjustable pedals benefit occupants and highlight how DHM can be used proactively to improve occupant-vehicle fit in the early design phases.