Frank Stephenson Designs the World’s Safest Baby Car Seat, the BabyArk

That’s why his latest project, through his company Frank Stephenson Design, in a partnership with an Israel defense contractor, aims to reinvent the baby car seat and promises the best for our tiniest and most vulnerable car passengers. Enter BabyArk, a revolutionary baby car seat that will come to market in late 2021.

The name Frank Stephenson must surely ring a bell, since his work with BMW and McLaren is as varied as it’s impressive. He designed the updated MINI Cooper in 2001, the first BMW X5, the updated Fiat 500, and worked on the Maserati GranSport and the Ferrari F430, to name just a few. Right now, his sole focus is on BabyArk.

In an interview with Car And Driver, Stephenson says the overall shape of the seat is inspired by an egg. He’s always used biomimicry in his designs, and this time is no different, as he also explains in the video available at the bottom of the page.

The seat has a carbon fiber frame covered by transparent polycarbonate skin, and uses a shock-absorbing spiral adapted from tanks to protect the child within. It can be mounted either facing forward or backwards, and has a carbon fiber base packed with sensors that will let the adult know whether the child has fallen asleep or been forgotten behind in the locked car.

According to Car And Driver, the prototype has already undergone testing at TASS International, Siemens’ independent safety-testing facility in the Netherlands, with initial scores showing its net superiority over other products of the kind. The prototype is made for kids aged 0 through 4, but BabyArk also plans to make a version for newborns and booster seats for older children.

Pricing has for the base model of the BabyArk has not been made public, but Stephenson hints for the same media outlet that it will be pricey. On the bright side, a subscription- / trade-in-type of service will be offered, allowing parents to upgrade at smaller costs, in exchange for an old seat.