Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 1

The high prevalence of lower back pain in truckers is a costly issue for the trucking industry. The Collègecommunautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB) is requesting an ARD Level 1 grant in order to help Force 3Innovations research, develop and test an ergonomic truck driver's seat. The expertise of the Force 3Innovations team has enabled them to begin adapting technology used in the medical domain to improve backposture in wheelchair patients to the driving world. The role of the CCNB in this project is divided into twoparts. The first part is to design, fabricate, assemble and deliver a prototype of the seat with the expertise of theCCNB Metal Innovation and Technology Transfer Center (MITTC). The second part is to conduct a scientificstudy in order to ensure that the seat is acceptable to truck drivers. The information acquired in the second stepwill be used to refine and improve the original design to make it more adapted to the needs of the market.This work will produce a driver's seat able to improve back posture during prolonged driving periods. This willlead to increases in work productivity and decreases in hours lost due to illness, translating to reduced costs andimproved efficiency for truck companies. As an essential transporter and distributer of commercial andindustrial goods, the Canadian economy stands to benefit from the implementation of this technology in thetrucking industry.