A car capable of travelling 10 miles in 90 seconds – that is the aim of the Bloodhound SSC project. The team behind this supersonic car will attempt to reach 800mph in 2010, 900mph the year after, and in 2012 will try for their ultimate goal of 1000mph.  RAF Wing Commander Andy Green, who will drive the car, is obviously a highly skilled individual – but he also needs an appropriately designed cockpit in order to safely and successfully bid for the land speed record.  Clearly this presents a unique ergonomics challenge.

The biggest priority is how to fit Andy in the optimum position for the small space available, giving maximum comfort and safety in a high pressure environment. The ergonomic assessment was largely anthropometric and biomechanical, based on criteria to optimise the driver’s vision, accommodating his body shape and ensuring that the design will withstand the high G-forces.

Members of the Bloodhound team at the University of Western England designed and built an adjustable MDF physical prototype to mock-up the layout of the cockpit and position the controls to meet Andy’s exact specification. This is an extreme application of ergonomics – fitting a design to one specific user for one specific task.  But given the nature of that task, it was nonetheless crucially important to get this design right.

Design Team: UWE Design Department

Bloodhound SSC