Adient to design 'active seats' for autonomous vehicles

Fully automated cars controlled by computer systems free the passengers from the responsibility of paying attention to the safety of the surroundings while driving. Many people hope that one day they can chat in the car, or read, watch videos and other entertainment. I guess many people also want to take a nap.

The interior of Daimler's concept car "F015 Luxury in Motion" The interior of Daimler's concept car "F015 Luxury in Motion"

To meet these needs, automakers are working to increase the freedom of seat settings. The self-driving car concept "F015 Luxury in Motion" proposed by Germany's Daimler is a simple and easy-to-understand example. According to this concept, the front seats should turn to the rear and sit opposite the back seats.

However, self-driving cars cannot guarantee that there will be no accidents. Moreover, if a car crashes while the driver is not paying attention, the passengers will be hit without any defense. Because the passengers in the self-driving car may face different directions, there are different dangers than before.

In the era of autonomous driving, consumers are looking for "safe and comfortable spaces". Although there are many solutions to improve comfort, measures focusing on safety have been relatively weak. This is because most new ideas in autonomous vehicles are based on the premise that "autonomous vehicles will not cause accidents". Adient, a leader in the automotive seat market in the United States, has noticed this situation.

Adient was established on October 31, 2016 as a spin-off from Johnson Controls of the United States. Formerly the Johnson Controls Automotive Experience division, Adient specializes in manufacturing automotive seats and interior components. One in three cars on the road worldwide is equipped with seats made by the company.

"We have invested the most money and manpower in ensuring safety," said Hiroyuki Uchida, vice president of Asian business and president of the Japanese legal entity of the company, describing Adient's development direction in the era of autonomous driving.

Predict collisions and minimize the impact on the human body by moving seats.

Uchida revealed the considerations for developing seats for self-driving cars. For example, the method of dealing with side collisions in self-driving cars. Uchida said, "We are studying how to predict the impact of an accident in advance so that the seat can face the safest direction when it is hit."

Volvo 's "Concept 26". The footrest extends out in "leisure mode" Volvo's "Concept 26". The footrest extends out in "leisure mode"

Seats for autonomous vehicles are currently being developed at the company's sites in Germany and the United States. California, the United States, is home to many auto companies that are working hard on research and development, and can be called a "autonomous driving village." Adient has also set up a site in California. Uchida said, "Although I cannot disclose the details, we are in talks with many auto companies such as Tesla, Toyota , and Ford in the United States."

Among the examples of joint development with automobile companies, the cooperation with Sweden's Volvo has been made public. That is the interior concept of the self-driving car "Concept 26" released by Volvo in November 2015. According to this concept, the seats will be able to adjust to the optimal reclining position according to people's different needs such as reading, working, and leisure.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.