Seeing how these past 18 months have been difficult for pretty much everyone in the world, Ford is looking to promote a concept of mindfulness so as to better manage stress and anxiety. In order to further explore this idea, the carmaker has developed a so-called Mindfulness Concept Car, based around Europe’s Kuga SUV, aka the Ford Escape.
This concept vehicle comes with a wide range of calming/soothing technologies and features such as its hygienic cabin air (cleaned before the driver enters the car), a seat that provides a stimulating impact on breathing and heart rate, plus various mindful driving guides, and these are just to name a few.
The hygienic bit starts with the so-called Unlock Purge, activated by the key fob or via an app. It provides a burst of clean and fresh air via the climate control system before you get in your car. Meanwhile, the Premium filter removes almost all dust, odors, allergens and bacteria-sized particles, whereas the UV-C light diodes stop the reproduction of viruses and germs on smartphones, screens and other surfaces.
Once you enter this clean environment, you can start setting the mood. This means ambient lighting, a driver seat with four actuators (providing feedback on breathing and heart rate) and even wearables (for more of the same). This Kuga also comes with special interior trim, using sustainable materials, natural colors and “mindful design cues."
Then there are the sounds, coming from the B&O Beosonic equalizer, headrest and headliner speakers, as well as a tailored playlist that includes seaside sounds for driving at the coast or calming music for when you’re stuck in traffic.
Other highlights of the Mindfulness Concept, which is now on display at IAA 2021, include its Adaptive Climate Control system, a Powernap function and guides for doing yoga, although you’ll obviously need to bring the vehicle to a halt for these types of activities.
“Mindfulness helps people to be more focused, calmer and achieve greater clarity – and when you’re behind the wheel, this can help make you a better driver,” said mindfulness teacher Mark Coleman, who created the meditation guides for this concept. “You become more aware and responsive, while greatly reducing the likelihood of being distracted. More drivers being more mindful can make journeys safer and more enjoyable for everyone on the road.”
Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration. Full profile
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