Car Seat Gives Antidote to Traffic-Related Stress

Road rage is inevitable during rush hour traffic as it is when drivers intentionally or unintentionally commit violations, thus causing stress to everyone on the road. Aiming to address this common issue, French automotive manufacturer Faurecia has developed a smart car seat that can tell the driver when he is driven to the brink and responds with fresh air and a soothing massage.

The revolutionary Active Wellness seat is equipped with sensors that spot the driver’s breathing patterns and heartbeat. Thanks to a smart biometric sensing system that crunches the numbers to determine how the driver feels.

According to Faurecia advanced innovation manager, Matthew Benson, the seat enables them to understand something about drivers’ respiration rate and heart rate as well as to analyze their stress level.

Upon sensing that the driver is stressed out, the seat automatically responds with a certain massage pattern designed to calm him down. Its temperature also adjusts automatically and fresh air comes in through the car’s ventilation system. Faurecia explains that when the driver shows signs of drowsiness, the massage pattern becomes more re-energizing than relaxing.

Faurecia joined forces with Stanford University’s Center for Design Research, Ohio State University’s Spine Research Institute and NASA engineers in the development of the seat. At the recently held Connected Car Expo in Los Angeles, the company and Stanford representatives discussed autonomous vehicle advancements.

To date, the innovative car seat is still in development, and Faurecia estimates that it could take two to three years to hit the market.