Ford has patented the designs for a new “autonomous vehicle with reconfigurable seats”, potentially allowing the seats of a Ford vehicle to become a lounge area when on the road.
It is still early days for autonomous vehicle technology, but carmakers are continually looking to push the boundaries when it comes to innovation. A new patent filed by Ford Global Technologies with the US Patent and Trademark Office however, shows that Ford is looking to develop a new ‘lounge area’ for its future autonomous vehicles.
Invented by Mark Cuddihy, Manoharprasad Rao and Jialiang Le, the new idea revolves around reconfigurable front seats that are capable of turning towards the rear of the car and facing those sat in the back – under the assumption that the car would be driving itself. There is also an image that shows the front seats folded away under the dashboard, allowing for greater distance between those seated and the dash – possibly simulating a TV-watching living room space.
This would essentially turn the seating area of a Ford vehicle into a lounge or living room, allowing for front and rear passengers to interact with one another, face to face.
Patenting ideas for seating configurations is not out of the ordinary for car manufacturers. For example, Honda has patented its ever popular cinema-style ‘Magic Seats.’
It is unlikely that Ford will be looking into the near future with this new idea as autonomous vehicles are still in their infancy. In fact, current legislation for autonomous vehicles states that a driver must be sat at the wheel and ready to intervene in the event of an emergency.
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