Those who are working in nine-to-five office jobs know it all too well. We go from sitting in our cars during our commute, to sitting at our desks during work.
According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) research, a quarter of people worldwide (1.4 billion) are living increasingly sedentary lifestyle.
Besides increasing the risk of obesity and cardiovascular diseases, a sedentary lifestyle could also shorten and weaken muscles in the lower body – increasing the risks of injury from falls or strains.
Of course, there are ways to reduce time spent sitting down – such as using a standing desk at work. However, you don’t have such luxury while driving. That is why Jaguar Land Rover is developing a new shape-shifting seat to tackle this very issue.
The ‘morphable’ seat, as it’s called, uses a series of actuators in the seat foam to create constant micro-adjustments that “make your brain think you’re walking”.
The seats simulate the natural walking rhythm, a movement called ‘pelvic oscillation’, and can even be individually tailored to each driver and passenger.
Jaguar Land Rover’s Body Interiors Research division is currently trialling the shape-shifting seats, but the company did not disclose if the seats will ever make it into production.
Jaguar Land Rover, Chief Medical Officer Dr Steve Iley said, “The wellbeing of our customers and employees is at the heart of all our technological research projects.
“We are using our engineering expertise to develop the seat of the future using innovative technologies not seen before in the automotive industry to help tackle an issue that affects people across the globe,” he added.
