Torso Kinematics in Seated Reaches Matthew Reed, Matthew Parkinson, David Wagner Presented at SAE Digital Human Modeling for Design and Engineering Conference, Rochester, Michigan, June 15-17, 2004. Simulations of humans performing seated reaches require accurate descriptions of the movements of the body segments that make up the torso. Previous work demonstrated that near-maximal reaches in realistic vehicle driver workspaces are limited by balance rather than joint range-of-motion considerations, indicating the accurate predictions of reach capability cannot be obtained using conventional approaches that lack consideration of balance and reach behavior. A laboratory study was conducted using industrial, auto, and truck seats. Twelve men and women reached to push-button targets located throughout their right-hand reach envelopes as their movements were recorded using an electromagnetic tracking system. The data illustrate complex patterns of motion between the pelvis and head that are consistent with a tradeoff between maximizing reach and minimizing torso motion. abs2004_16