Lexus today announced it will debut a Kinetic Seat Concept at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, as a standalone display. Sitting in the seat helps steady head movement caused by vehicle motion, keeping the field of vision fixed, according to the Japanese luxury car maker. The human spine acts to stabilize the human head by allowing the pelvis and chest to rotate in opposite directions. This is effective while walking or jogging. In order to recreate this movement abatement in car seats, the Lexus Kinetic Seat seat cushion and back rest were re-designed to move with occupant weight and external forces.
The Kinetic Seat frame “upholstery” comprises a spider web-pattern net with threads that spread out radially from the center of the back rest. The net is sufficiently flexible to fit body shape, dispersing the load to help make it possible to sit comfortably for lengthy periods. The center of the back rest is at shoulder blade height, which induces rotational movement of the chest around the seat’s pivotal axis. This is claimed to stabilize the head and thus helps to ensure a high level of support. The seat has also been made slimmer, making the overall car lighter in weight.
Synthetic Spider Silk
The threads at the back rest of the spider web-pattern construction are made from environmentally-conscious synthetic spider silk materials developed by Spiber (sic) instead of petroleum-derived materials. The main component is protein, which is created through microbial fermentation, then spun and processed into a new material offering what’s claimed to be superior shock absorbance properties.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
