One area where started some investigate is Vehicle Seating Innovations. Design HMI core competence in seat structures and materials is very limited. Still, over the next 2 years will try to identify market trends and technologies and concentrate on identifying technology solutions to meet want.
Seats have improved substantially over the relatively simple 6 Position seat from a decade ago as clearly demonstrated in Luxury Automakers 22 to 32 position seat settings complete with high quality Class A fabrics.
There still are key challenges Automakers will be looking at next few years – few listed below:
- Feature innovations are restricted to high end luxury vehicles so miss 96%+ customers.
- Adjustments for 22+ position seats not very intuitive and requires directed / focused input.
- Feature based Wellness coupled with WOW features limited.
- Limited innovation directed to people movers where passengers must be the focus.
- Quick vehicle seat adjustments to convert sedan to home goods transport limited.
- Integrating ambient features with function limited to nil.
- Vehicle seats 100% dependent on vehicle architecture – limited customer usage flexibility.
As a start below are few application innovations OE’s and Suppliers are working on per investigate at Interior Expos and Internet Searches:
- Seat structure is 30% to 40% lighter with Aluminium-steel or advanced metals.
- Use more recyclable polypropylene in the other structural parts.
- Bio-based polyurethane foam from recycled material.
- Breathable or more waterproof seat surfaces.
- Built-in fragrances designed to increase feelings of well-being.
- Fold down seat using the multi-function display on the instrument panel.
- Seats automatically fold into the floor to create a surface that is almost entirely flat.
- Power driver seat mounted to a curved track eliminating complex mechanisms.
- Console mounted directly to the seat structure that moves not fixed between the seats.
- Slim tilting head restraint that can be combined with a tilting mechanism.
- Ink jet printing fabric technology for customer customization of colors and patterns.
- Printed Smart circuits on seat belt for USB Charging / Other feature adds.
- Wireless charging USB ports and unique telescoping cup holders.
- Smart Seat Rear working tables for Office on Wheels applications.
- Integrated seat heating / cooling for automatic comfort / convenience.
- Wireless Power and Data reducing need for wiring connectivity 100% of time.
- Seat night time illumination coupled with ambient features.
- Rear Seat Occupant Reminder.
- Integrated Smart Fabric with Color Change Properties for Welcome Feature and Function Indication.
- Automatic pre-seat adjustment for ergonomically correct seat position using body size.
- INTU Sys – taking occupants’ biometric measurements to monitor wellness & adjust seating position.
- Touch-sensitive, directional baseball-style stitches on steering wheel & Seats for control functions.
- Vibration, or haptic warning, in the driver’s seat cushion to alert the driver
- Fiber-reinforced composite back frames for improved packaging efficiency.
- Headrest noise control for passenger communications.
Will revert with focused technology solutions through market research. For more information contact designhmi@gmail.com
2023 MY Smart Automotive Seats
In the next few years car seats could become positively high-tech, able to monitor your pulse, weigh and measure you and adjust the seat automatically, and even improve your posture like a visit to the chiropractor.
“Based on advancements in electronics, electric systems and sensors embedded in the seat and the rest of vehicle, we have created seating modules and features that provide personalized comfort and user experiences like never before,” said Ray Scott, Lear Corp. executive vice president.
Yanfeng Automotive Interiors (YFAI), the world’s largest supplier of automotive interiors, is offering a look into the future of vehicle interiors with the global debut of its Innovation Demonstrator 2016 (ID16) concept car at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt. The company is presenting new product technologies, production processes, and surface and smart solution integration, that enable new interior styling across instrument panels, floor consoles, door panels and overhead consoles. The ID16 concept offers a preview of the company’s vision of driving comfort in 2025. It features over 30 technologies and innovations – many of which are already market-ready – that will improve interior comfort and convenience in autonomous driving, packaged in an SUV platform. Refer: https://www.yfai.com/en/yanfeng-automotive-interiors-id16-concept-makes-its-global-debut-iaa
From aircraft seats to autonomous technologies, the aviation industry is looking to automotive for new ideas and best practices. The lines between transportation industries are starting to blur as aerospace companies more frequently team with automotive specialists to innovate. Within the last few years, the industry has seen pairings between Boeing and automotive seating specialist Adient, Lufthansa Technik and Mercedes-Benz, Liebherr-Aerospace and General Motors (GM) and Airbus and 
Audi—and the list continues to grow as the urban air mobility (UAM) market begins to take off. It is becoming increasingly clear that crossover between the two industries will be necessary for innovation to proceed.
Refer https://www.mro-network.com/emerging-technology/how-auto-industry-inspiring-aviation-innovation
This cutting-edge concept has been designed to equip driverless vehicles with modular, innovative solutions. “Drivers will become real passengers 
and have more time to do what they want; they will experience the cockpit much more intensely. They will reach their destination more safely and less stressfully thanks to the advanced technology of our products”, said Chung. The AI-18 can be configured in five modes, Lounge, Communication, Cargo, Family and Baby Plus, depending on passenger needs. We move from a setting aimed at complete relaxation, in which the seats recline as in a first class flight, to a combination dedicated to work with tables and Wi-Fi connection, up to an arrangement to meet the needs of those who have to load up numerous pieces of luggage or a stroller, which is handled by making the rear seats totally disappear. At the front, several sensors monitor the seating positions, as well as the passenger’s blood pressure and heartbeat, trying to reduce the occupant’s stress level by means of a relaxing massage.
Refer http://autodesignmagazine.com/en/2017/11/adient-ai-18-future-of-automotive-seating/
Bentley upped its interior game last year with the Bentayga SUV’s 22-way adjustable driver’s seat. The headrest moves up, down, forward and back and features “ears to pull around your head … cocooned in beautiful soft leather,” says Day.
The seat cushion can extend forward for better thigh support. Massage programs offer hard or soft rubs for shoulders and backs. Passengers can pump up bolsters for more comfort, then deflate them for easier egress. Day points out that Bentley is using different multi-density foams to increase rigidity in some areas and boost comfort in others.
“The seat adjusts in a multitude of ways to make it the most comfortable place to be,” he notes. “And it looks perfectly tailored – we took the design to the next level.”
In the US, the Ford Motor Company’s 2017 Lincoln Continental features a 30-way throne of comfort that seems capable of doing everything except make a mimosa. Ripping a page from the high-end, airplane-seat-design playbook, this versatile front seat — an even plusher version of which, pictured above, appeared in the company’s recent Navigator Concept — can be finely adjusted to suit a driver’s comfort levels, says Johnathan Line, advanced seat-innovation supervisor and global technical expert for seating. And surprisingly enough, the 30-way seats aren’t bigger than conventional seats; in fact, they use less foam, thanks to a flexible suspension system that provides the support typically offered by thicker cushioning.
Refer http://www.bbc.com/autos/story/20160525-building-the-perfect-drivers-seat?ocid=twaut
Seating suppliers have had to face cost-down pressures and the commoditization of their product in recent years. And like suppliers in other areas of the vehicle, they’ve responded with cost-saving innovations. Faurecia, for example, which claims to be the world’s number-one supplier of seat frames and mechanisms, developed a new generation of standardized seat frames that are now used in more than 50 different models by Nissan, GM, Volkswagen, and PSA Group.
Tribus offers you the seating line Flexus with two models; FlexusPLUS with folding feature and FlexusPRO with swivel and folding feature. The seats are highly flexible, and you can easily set up a different layout from the factory default setup. The Flexus seats can be combined with the TriflexAIR floor or TrfilexFloor. Our Flexus seats are available on request.
Refer: https://www.tribus-group.com/seating-systems/
Desire for more comfort in the car, however, often requires a higher weight and thus a higher fuel consumption. For this, the materials used in the vehicle must be further developed. Thus, the future of the automobile lies in the implementation of high-tech materials.
Product innovations in the automotive sector therefore include recyclable nonwovens that increase seating comfort, improve climate properties and at the same time reduce weight.
The perfect soft-touch effect and minimized wrinkling in the upper offers our product Caliweb, which is located below the decorative material.
It is used as a foam substitute, is recyclable, significantly reduces emission and fogging values and increases seating comfort. In addition, it improves the seat climate and by the direct lamination with the decorative material allows a simpler processing process.
Refer: https://www.twe-group.com/en/markets/automotive/nonwovens-in-the-seat-application/
