Improving health aspects and comfort of infants during travel by cargo bike
B.W. van Driessche (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
S Silvester – Mentor (TU Delft - Human Factors)
B. Ninaber Van Eijben – Mentor (TU Delft - Form and Experience)
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Abstract
Although there are systems that allow you to take your infant with you on a cargo bike, there were still many prejudices and concerns on this matter. Due to the transmitted vibrations, which could be a source of discomfort and a risk to human health, experts criticized travelling with infants on bicycles and cargo bikes. An infant safety seat is the smallest child safety seat for newborns up to 10-13 kg and is properly developed according to the highest crash test standards in the automotive industry. Yet, little is known about the vibrations transmitted from the cargo bike to a child fastened in child safety seat. The graduation project includes a consideration of the health risks and discomfort likely to be caused by vibration. Made analyses and research led to the design of a spring-damper seat system for the use of infant safety seats on cargo bikes. Moreover, the outcome of the graduation project encourages further researchers to investigate how to improve health aspects and comfort of infants during travel by cargo bike. This may lead to a revision of current recommendations for infants’ suitability for travel by cargo bike, placed in an infant car seat, and also have implications for the design of infant seat systems that emphasize comfort and health during travel.