Have you ever climbed into your car after a session at the gym, dip in the pool, or on any day of a South Carolina summer? This January with the promises of "New Year, new me" resolutioners in mind Ford Europe is debuting new tech. All Ford Europe vehicles will be subject to rigorous tests. The tests, designed to imitate the wear and tear of a behind which is moist due to exercise or weather. The goal is to ensure Ford's seats can withstand ten years of wear, even when occupants are on the sweatier side.
How does it work? They designed a robotic posterior, named 'Robutt', to match "the size and shape of a large man". The soft pad attaches to one of Ford's KUKA-built robots. The pad then gets heated to 96.8 Fahrenheit and soaked with 15.22 ozs of water. After it's nice and gross the Robutt will sit, bounce, and twist in the seat 7,500 times over the course of 3 days. This is intended to simulate decades worth of car use under sweaty conditions. Since their factories are based in Europe, they worry about post-exercise drivers. My thoughts immediately went to Lexington County summers.
Development engineer Florian Rohwer said "Cars are a part of our everyday lives and at this time of year in particular, so is exercise. The 'Robutt' is a great way to check our seats will look good for years to come."
I appreciate their concern, and I'm sure the backsides of many European customers will also. If you are lucky, this tech might make its way to the United States before you next purchase a car.
Want to see it in action? Ford Europe shared a video as part of the announcement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1imWlr_PiPA