UP F RONT
aircraftinteriorsinternational.com
036 MARCH 2020
1. ACTUATORS IN THE
SEAT FOAM SIMULATE
THE RHYTHM OF WALKING
2. INTU BIOBRIDGE CAN
MONITOR HEART RATE
VARIABILITY AND CREATE
AN ALERT IF A PROBLEM
IS DETECTED
SHAPE SHIFTER
Sitting for hours on long-haul flights can be bad for passenger health, especially with the emergence
of ultra long-haul routes. From the automotive world, Jaguar Land Rover has developed a potential
solution: a ‘morphable’ seat system that continually adjusts to optimise occupant wellbeing
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than a
quarter of people worldwide – 1.4 billion people – are living increasingly
sedentary lifestyles, which can shorten muscles in the legs, hips and
gluteals, causing back pain. The weakened muscles can in turn lead to
an increased likelihood of injuries from falls or strains. As a solution,
Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) body interiors research division is trialling
a ‘morphable’ seat that simulates the rhythm of walking, and which
can be individually tailored to each passenger.
As with aviation seating, JLR vehicles already feature ergonomic seat
designs, with added features including multi-directional adjustment,
massage functions and even in-seat climate control.
The morphable seat, however, adds a series of actuators in the seat
foam that make constant micro-adjustments to simulate the rhythm
of walking, a movement known as pelvic oscillation. The actuators
1
2
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to see a video
showing how the
morphable seat
stimulates various
muscles
alternate pressure to the left and right thigh areas to
create the pelvic oscillation effect, helping prevent any
increased muscle relaxation, and improving the supply
of nutrients to the joints and discs.
JLR’s seat supplier is Lear, which has developed
several health technologies. One example is Intu, which
features embedded sensors that monitor occupant
comfort, with a pneumatic control module that makes
Lear has also
developed Intu BioBridge,
which uses biometrics to
detect stress, drowsiness
and heart rate variability,
and then activates
treatments including heat
and massage. The system
can also transmit critical
data to a doctor or family
member. Such technology
would be a boon for
passenger safety.
Energising seat kinetics
comfort adjustments
by expanding and
contracting air
chambers. With
another system,
ProActive Posture
Seating, the system
provides a position
calculated to promote
better posture, based
on individual biometrics
and biomechanics.
Daimler engineers have also been
studying the potential of seating to
enhance passenger wellbeing. The
company’s Energizing seat kinetics
system, launched on the Mercedes-
Benz B-Class, supports orthopaedic
changes in seating posture by
means of minute changes to the
inclination of the seat cushions and
backrest. The algorithm-based
system differs from massage seating
in that it is a proactive technology,
designed to pre-empt tissue fatigue
and reduce related discomfort, rather
than react to it.
When the system is activated, the
inclination of the seat cushions and
backrests are continuously adjusted
using the settings selected by the
users. The seat kinetics can also
include a lumbar support function.
With each small motion (1° or less),
the workload in the spine and
supporting muscles is transferred to
a new area, allowing natural tissue
recovery cycles to occur.
The system is based on an
invention by Comfort Motion Global
(CMG). CMG’s director of R&D, Dr Paul
Phipps, a chiropractor explains,
“Specialising in human performance
biomechanics, I worked with athletes,
helping them to create structural
balance, increased flexibility and
greater stability. I realised these
same principles could be applied
to helping improve driver and
passenger wellness for those
spending repetitive or extended
periods of time sitting.”
Daimler says it “significantly
refined” the technology for series
use in cars, optimising factors such
as the angle of adjustment and the
number of cycles.
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