Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Chevrolet
Sleeping in a car isn’t a comfortable experience, but General Motors has now designed an accessory whose purpose is specifically to change this.
A patent called “seat accessory to enable a sleep and rest surface” describes how General Motors wants to make sleeping and resting in a car more comfortable.
The company says it can use a seat accessory that comprises a seat base contact module to create an ad-hoc bed inside a car.
General Motors acknowledges in the patent that most vehicles come with reclinable seats specifically to let the driver and passengers rest. When fully reclined, however, car seats aren’t exactly comfortable, sometimes due to the bolsters or the integrated lumbar support.
The American carmaker says this can change with a dedicated seat accessory. Deposited onto a seat base and the back of an existing seat, the technology has a very simple yet clever goal. When the car seat is fully reclined, it turns it into a small bed, essentially making resting in a vehicle more comfortable.
General Motors describes several approaches, including one that makes the reclined seat as wide as possible, according to the available space inside the cabin. Needless to say, the technology still wouldn’t produce a king-size bed, but drivers should theoretically still feel more comfortable than on a standard car seat.
GM’s concept has everything a tired driver would need, including a pillow that extends from the seat back. In theory, the driver would only need their jammies, as otherwise, the seat concept includes everything to provide a good sleep.
The idea is still in the patent stage, so you’d better not hold your breath to see it entering mass production.
However, it’s easy to see where GM is aiming with this concept. While such a seat design would make it very comfortable for a driver to take a nap during long journeys, it also paves the way for the introduction of a living room on wheels.
Carmakers are working around the clock on transforming the cabin into a more comfortable space, especially as autonomous driving gains traction. With the vehicle in charge of driving, the car interior can focus more on passenger comfort.
Apple is one of the companies believed to invest aggressively in the living room on wheels concept. Despite initially launching with a conventional cabin, the Apple Car is expected to offer a new-generation experience inside the vehicle. Apple is focused not only on making the interior more comfortable, but also on upgrading it with technology that would allow passengers to interact with technology in motion. As such, the Apple Car is seen as the pioneer of the cabin revolution, though carmakers, including General Motors itself, don’t want to be late to the party and currently invest in similar ideas as well.
The company says it can use a seat accessory that comprises a seat base contact module to create an ad-hoc bed inside a car.
General Motors acknowledges in the patent that most vehicles come with reclinable seats specifically to let the driver and passengers rest. When fully reclined, however, car seats aren’t exactly comfortable, sometimes due to the bolsters or the integrated lumbar support.
The American carmaker says this can change with a dedicated seat accessory. Deposited onto a seat base and the back of an existing seat, the technology has a very simple yet clever goal. When the car seat is fully reclined, it turns it into a small bed, essentially making resting in a vehicle more comfortable.
General Motors describes several approaches, including one that makes the reclined seat as wide as possible, according to the available space inside the cabin. Needless to say, the technology still wouldn’t produce a king-size bed, but drivers should theoretically still feel more comfortable than on a standard car seat.
GM’s concept has everything a tired driver would need, including a pillow that extends from the seat back. In theory, the driver would only need their jammies, as otherwise, the seat concept includes everything to provide a good sleep.
The idea is still in the patent stage, so you’d better not hold your breath to see it entering mass production.
However, it’s easy to see where GM is aiming with this concept. While such a seat design would make it very comfortable for a driver to take a nap during long journeys, it also paves the way for the introduction of a living room on wheels.
Carmakers are working around the clock on transforming the cabin into a more comfortable space, especially as autonomous driving gains traction. With the vehicle in charge of driving, the car interior can focus more on passenger comfort.
Apple is one of the companies believed to invest aggressively in the living room on wheels concept. Despite initially launching with a conventional cabin, the Apple Car is expected to offer a new-generation experience inside the vehicle. Apple is focused not only on making the interior more comfortable, but also on upgrading it with technology that would allow passengers to interact with technology in motion. As such, the Apple Car is seen as the pioneer of the cabin revolution, though carmakers, including General Motors itself, don’t want to be late to the party and currently invest in similar ideas as well.
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