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In vehicle design and especially automotive design
Automotive design

Automotive design is the profession involved in the development of the appearance, and to some extent the ergonomics, of motor vehicles or more specifically road vehicles....
, the H-point (or hip-point) is the relative vertical location of an occupant's hip
Hip (anatomy)

In anatomy, the hip or coxa in medical termonology is the bone projection of the femur which is known as the greater trochanter, and the overlying muscle and fat....
, specifically the pivot point between the torso and upper leg portions of the body, either relative to the floor of the vehicle or relative to the height above pavement level -- and pertinent to seating comfort, visibility from the vehicle into traffic and other design factors.






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In vehicle design and especially automotive design
Automotive design

Automotive design is the profession involved in the development of the appearance, and to some extent the ergonomics, of motor vehicles or more specifically road vehicles....
, the H-point (or hip-point) is the relative vertical location of an occupant's hip
Hip (anatomy)

In anatomy, the hip or coxa in medical termonology is the bone projection of the femur which is known as the greater trochanter, and the overlying muscle and fat....
, specifically the pivot point between the torso and upper leg portions of the body, either relative to the floor of the vehicle or relative to the height above pavement level -- and pertinent to seating comfort, visibility from the vehicle into traffic and other design factors. Technically, the measurement uses the hip joint of a 50th Percentile
Percentile

A percentile is the value of a variable below which a certain percentage of observations fall. So the 20th percentile is the value below which 20 percent of the observations may be found....
 male occupant, viewed laterally.

As with the location of other automotive design "hard points," the H-point has major ramifications in the overall design of a vehicle, including roof height, aerodynamics, visibility, comfort, ease of entry and exit, interior packaging, safety, restraint design and collision performance. As an example, higher H-points can provide more legroom, both in the front and back seats.

There has been a recent global trend toward higher H-points. Referring to the trend in a 2004 article, The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal is an English language international daily newspaper published by Dow Jones & Company in New York, New York with Asian and European editions....
 noted an advantage: "the higher the H-Point, the higher you ride in the car, and in some cases, the more comfortable you feel behind the wheel".

Buses, minivan
Minivan

File:Plymouth Voyager 1992.jpgA minivan, multi-purpose vehicle , people-carrier, people-mover or multi-utility vehicle is a type of automobile similar in shape to a van that is designed for personal use....
s, SUVs and CUV
Crossover SUV

A crossover — variously called CUV or crossover utility vehicle — is a marketing term for a vehicle that derives from a car automobile platform while borrowing features from an Sport utility vehicle or Minivan....
s will generally have higher H-points than sedans, though certain sedans feature higher H-points than most, e.g., Chevrolet Aveo and latest generation Ford Taurus
Ford Taurus

The Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the Ford lineup....
. Sports cars and vehicles with higher aerodynamic considerations, by contrast, may employ lower H-points. When an automobile features progressively higher H-points at each successive seating row, the seating is called theater seating, as in the Chevrolet Aveo, Dodge Journey
Dodge Journey

The Dodge Journey is a mid-size crossover station wagon that debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show, with North American 2009model year sales beginning in March 2008 and European sales to begin in mid 2008....
, and Ford Freestyle.

Vehicle interior ergonomics are integral to an automotive design education. The Society of Automotive Engineers
Society of Automotive Engineers

SAE International is a professional organization for mobility engineering professionals in the aerospace, automotive, and commercial vehicle industries....
 (SAE) has adopted tools for vehicle design, including statistical models for predicting driver eye location and seat position as well as an H-point mannequin
Mannequin

A mannequin is an often articulated life-sized doll used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, and others especially to display or fit clothing. During the 1950s, mannequins were also used in nuclear tests to help illustrate the effects of nuclear weapons on human beings....
 for measuring seats and interior package geometry. Occupant posture-prediction models are used in computer simulations and form the basis for Crash test dummy
Crash test dummy

Crash test dummies are full-scale anthropomorphic test devices that simulate the dimensions, weight proportions and articulation of the human body, and are usually instrumented to record data about the dynamic behavior of the ATD in simulated vehicle impacts....
 positioning.

See also

  • Ergonomics
    Ergonomics

    Ergonomics is the scientific discipline concerned with designing according to human needs, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance....
  • Anthropometry
    Anthropometry

    Anthropometry , in physical anthropology, refers to the measurement of the human individual for the purposes of understanding human physical variation....


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