With all the issues that come about while driving, it’s no surprise that getting behind the wheel can be a very stressful and frustrating situation. One company realized this and developed a smart seat that can recognize building tension and offer drivers a relaxing breath of fresh air as well as a massage.
French automotive parts manufacturer Faurecia has created a seat that contains sensors that are able to determine a driver’s heartbeat and breathing patterns. An equipped biometric sensing system is able to figure out if these patterns are higher or lower than normal.
Faurecia’s advanced innovation manager Matthew Benson said, “The seat allows us to understand something about your heart rate, your respiration rate, and then analyze that to really understand your stress level.”
When the smart seat determines that the driver is feeling a large amount of stress, it responds with a massaging technique that is designed to calm a person down. Additionally, it instructs the vehicle to blow fresh air out of the ventilation system. This fresh air is soothing, offering a relaxing experience.
But it’s not just for stressful situations. The smart seat is also used to prevent people from falling asleep behind the wheel. If the driver expresses signs of drowsiness, a more intense massaging technique is used. This type of massage is designed to be more energizing than relaxing.
Faurecia wasn’t alone in developing this innovative car seat. The company teamed up with Engineers from NASA and spine experts from Ohio State and Stanford University. Not only is the seat smart, it is also good for one’s spinal cord. Eventually, Faurecia hopes that the seat will become standard in all new vehicles.
For now though, the seat is still in development. According to Faurecia’s website, it could be two or three years before it is available on the market. When it finally is, it will be the world’s first ever car seat that can monitor driver health in such a fashion.
It won’t be long until you can receive a relaxing massage to calm you down while experiencing a fit of road rage.
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