Volvo Inflatable Child Seat Concept: Three stages: inflated, being deflated and deflated in case without text. The Inflatable Child Seat Concept inflates in less than 40 seconds and deflates with an integrated pump.
Volvo is further growing its reputation as a safety leader by introducing a new inflatable car seat aimed at giving traveling families a lighter, easier-to-use alternative.
The seat is covered in drop-stitched fabric and inflates in about 40 seconds using an electric motor in the seat. It weighs about 11 pounds, which makes it relatively easy to pack in a carry on bag when flying.
“For me child safety is always the number one priority and when we lived abroad with two toddlers we had to haul bulky child seats through airports and then into taxis,” said Lawrence Abele, design manager at the Volvo Monitoring and Concept Center in Los Angeles. He designed the seat with his two children in mind. “For many, travelling with young children is a challenge; any assistance to simplify the parents’ life with young children is a great thing.”
The Inflatable Child Seat Concept – it is a concept still – faces the rear of the car, as it is the safest way for children to travel, Volvo said. A child’s neck is under development and not as strong as an adult’s neck. In a frontal impact collision, the head of a forward-facing car occupant is thrown forward inducing great stain on the neck. Children therefore need special restraints and to face the rear of the vehicle until at least three to four years of age.
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“Actually, it would be better for all of us to travel facing the rear but given how cars are designed nowadays it’s not feasible. Young children, however, can and should travel facing the rear of the car as long as possible,” Lawrence said.
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“The goal was to design a seat as safe, or safer, than anything on the market right now but second to that I want everyone, including kids to be exposed to great design every day.”
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This is not Volvo’s first effort in this area – it used to have an integrated booster seat in some models – and it is not the first automaker to design a better car seat. Chrysler introduced integrated child seats into its minivan line-up more than 20 years ago and several automakers followed suit.