Precision car seat adjustment achieved through Bluetooth

Date: 12/12/2012

Technology has moved a step further in precision car seat adjustment by allowing drivers to move their seat position via their mobile, through the power of Bluetooth.

As well as offering optimum comfort, adjusting a seat is important for drivers to ensure that they have maximum control over the vehicle, therefore improving road safety.

The new seat from Faurecia has 22-way adjustability, which is amended automatically from information sent by a mobile phone.

Users simply take a picture of themselves in a seated position and enter vital statistics into the programme, such as gender, height, weight and reach.

They also put the length of their torso and upper and lower legs into the app, which sends this data to the company's servers, converting it into the perfect seat position and sending it back to the phone.

When the user gets into the car a Bluetooth connection is formed between the seat and the phone, which automatically adjusts it to fit the driver's specifications.

The default setting for the app is to make adjustments based on maximising posture, but it can be set up for enhanced safety, visibility over the bonnet or to improve driving performance.

Other information can be put into the app, such as the details of an ailment like lower back pain, stiffness or numbness in the buttocks and the seat will automatically adjust to take these things into consideration.

In the future the company hopes that it will be able to offer in-app upgrades, including Shiatsu massage, but the seats will also have traditional controls on the side as standard.

Faurecia has not yet brought the new system to market, but intends to do so in the next few years, as a way for drivers to have more control over their car seat through the application of modern technology.

Added benefits of the car seat are that it is ultra light and compact, meaning that it will help to reduce fuel consumption and improve safety.

Posted by Sarah Bailey

Transport Research News and Vehicle Safety News