Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for an optimized driver seat and pedal positioning system that may be used in future Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on July 23rd, 2021, published on July 16th, 2024, and assigned serial number 12036898.
The Ford Authority Take
Ford has filed quite a few patents revolving around automotive seats in recent months, a list that includes ideas for automatically adjusting seats for pets, seats that adjust themselves automatically based on rear occupancy, and an an ergonomically adjustable seat assembly, to name just a few. Now, this newly published patent keeps that trend going by presenting us with an idea for an optimized driver seat and pedal positioning system using ulna length that may be used in future Ford vehicles, too.
For those unfamiliar with that particular term, measurements of ulna length can be used to derive accurate estimates of a person’s height, particularly, the elderly and those with curvature of the spine. Since proper driver positioning isn’t just an issue of comfort – but in many cases, safety as well – Ford proposes using that same method to automatically adjust the driver’s seat and pedals, which it would accomplish by using a camera to determine the ulna length of the user.
Based on that data, the system would then make the perfect adjustments by taking into account the length of their forearms, an estimated height, a 120-degree arm bend, and other data. Once the driver confirms that these adjustments are right for them, they’d be on their merry way, presumably more comfortable than if they spent more time tweaking all of those things themselves – making this a potentially useful idea for future Ford vehicles.
We’ll have more on this and all Ford patents soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford patent news, Ford business news, and ongoing Ford news coverage.
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