Many people have already tinkered with numerous possibilities that one can make in a humble seat. As a result, various types of seat have been produced such as massaging seats, heated seats, ventilated seats, and seats that can move to hold anyone in place when cornering. At Ford, designers are working on a new car seat technology that will cater to the older driving population.
Ford is taking a step further with the creation of car seats that are designed to detect heart attacks. By placing heart-monitoring (electrocardiograph) sensors in the seats for detecting abnormal heartbeat coupled with using an in-car camera for detecting if the driver is slumped to his seat, the car will be able to activate its auto steering and braking capacities. This will enable the car to stop safely when it detects that there's a problem. Moreover, the car can ring the emergency services on behalf of the driver.
Ford's engineers are working on using the best materials possible for the technology, making sure that the electrodes can cater to various types of body shapes and sizes.
According to research, drivers who are diagnosed with cardiovascular disease have 23 percent likelihood to meet a road accident. Such percentage could even reach up to 52 percent among drivers who suffer from angina-chest pains that are caused by the heart.
Ford's driver-seat technology follows the initiative that came from other car manufacturers such as Toyota. These companies understand very well that there is an increasing market of car buyers belonging to the age group of over 65. Today, this group generates around $140 billion in yearly sales in the U.S. alone.
A survey result shows that almost 60 percent of those who are older than 50 say that technology lack ample adaptability to their needs. Likewise, Pim van der Jagt, managing director of the Ford Research Center, said that around 30 percent of those who are above the age of 65 are found to have some type of heart irregularity. If these people are still driving, they would most likely have a real interest in the technology.
In some cases, Ford's car seat may sense an increase in the driver's heart activity before he even notices that a heart attack is happening. In this situation, the system would give out a message to the driver, informing him to pull over.
While Ford is reluctant to reveal the technology's exact rollout schedule, a company spokesman said that it should be available at least by 2020.
