‘Smart’ Car Seats

As if smartphones aren’t already running our lives, your car seat could be the next thing to be controlled remotely via an app. Automotive supplier Faurecia in Nanterre, France is developing car-seat technology that will allow motorists to customize the cushions to best suit their body types for ultimate comfort and support. With Faurecia’s SmartFit app, a driver enters basic measurements and other information into an Android phone, which calculates the ideal seat adjustments based on “advanced” anthropomorphic data. The phone then transmits all this information to a specially configured seat, which makes all the necessary modifications automatically. The app also includes a “therapy” function that helps address specific muscle and joint issues, including leg and lower-back pain. No word yet on which vehicles might feature the system or how much it would cost, but Faurecia expects the technology to be ready for the 2014 or 2015 model year.