The following is a summary of a research article entitled “The Vehicle As An IT Office Environment- Ergonomics”,

Many people now use their car or van as a working environment in which to routinely carry out the tasks that would previously have been done in the office. The ready availability of Laptop computer and internet technology has meant that many people no longer work from an office but from their vehicle.

Vehicles are used for many purposes in addition to getting from A to B, such as carrying loads, making telephone calls and eating lunch, and designing vehicles that enable satisfactory achievement of those purposes can give a manufacturer a market edge. One such purpose that is becoming increasingly prevalent is the use of the vehicle, whether car or van, as an IT (information technology) office environment. According to research by International Data Corp./LINK (reported in the Wall Street Journal, September 1998) over 6 million people in the U.S. do some work from their cars. Companies have tended to increase the size of the territory covered by people who work away from their office, among customers and clients, servicing and maintaining equipment, responding to breakdown situations. As this trend has increased there has been a corresponding increase in the use of the vehicle as an office from which it is essential that business activities are carried out. It is no longer feasible for these people to return to their office or depot each day to undertake the ‘office’ aspects of their work.

The Mobile Computer Users’ Group has produced a number of recommendations for the design of portable and vehicle mounted computer based workstations that would support the mobile worker in their day to day activities (e.g. Allington and Harding (1998), Jennings and Ennis (1998)). These recommendations are based on their experience as system users and systems developers. The papers recognize the different needs of the mobile computer users in, for example, the utilities, telecommunications companies and emergency services, from those of executive and other business users.

The studies on the use of vehicles as ‘mobile offices’ reported in this paper commenced in 1993 and are part of an on-going research program within the Ergonomics and Design Group at Loughborough University. The studies aim to build up an understanding of the key human factors issues associated with the use of office equipment and in particular mobile computers in vehicles.

A structured interview survey of 90 people at roadside service areas in the UK investigated the use of in-car office technology and problems and solutions concerning office work in the car. The results revealed that ‘. . . many business people do indeed carry out a considerable amount of office work in their car’. On average about half an hour each day was spent doing office work. People nearly always stayed in the driver’s seat to complete their office work and most people rested their work on the steering wheel, although some used their knees or the passenger seat. Papers were stored on the rear seat, on the passenger seat or in the trunk of the car.

The key human factors issues identified in this study were the lack of a flat surface to rest work on, lack of adequate storage and security for office equipment and papers, the lack of working space within the vehicle and the need to be able to quickly and easily remove any office equipment as people use their vehicles for other purposes both during and after working hours.

Halls found that all of the participants stayed in the driver’s seat when using the laptop and usually wedged the laptop at an angle between the thighs and the steering wheel. When using the laptop for short periods they would sometimes rest it on the passenger seat and reach across from the driver’s seat. Other locations had been tried but offered no significant advantage over the driver’s seat. Sitting in the front passenger seat was found to be an unsatisfactory location to use the laptop as it was difficult to rest the laptop firmly on the lap without the support of the steering wheel. The rear passenger seat was considered restrictive in terms of leg room and seat space.

A number of human factors problems were identified, the most frequently cited of which was that there was nowhere satisfactory to place the computer while in use, leading to poor working postures being adopted. The computer was either put on the passenger seat while the user twisted round from the driver’s seat or more commonly, placed on the user’s knees. As in the Eost study, people were reluctant to leave or even adjust the driver’s seat to use the computer. Inconvenience was also reported with setting up and taking down the computer as it was used frequently and for short periods, especially as the retrieval of the computer from behind the passenger seat was awkward and uncomfortable from the driver’s seat. One participant reported that he had ‘put his back out’ when reaching across to the foot well from the driver’s seat to pick up the laptop. Other problems included lack of safe and secure storage while in the vehicle, lack of space for associated paperwork and computer manuals and difficulty viewing the screen. Users complained of short-term discomfort when using the laptops. The option of a facility to support the use of laptops in the car was welcomed.

In conclusion, the market for in-vehicle IT ‘office’ systems and mobile computing is expanding rapidly and it is easy to assume that simply providing people with smaller and more appropriate computing facilities is the way to meet the demand.

DISCLAMIER: The Buddy Desk should only be used while your vehicle is parked with the engine turned OFF. Do NOT mount the Buddy Desk to steering wheel while the vehicle is in Motion.

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