BURSCHEID and DUSSELDORF, Germany, February 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
Autonomous driving: Seats to play anincreasingly important role
Self-driving cars are now already a reality on test tracks. Drivers will hand over more and more control to their vehicles in the years to come. While active driving will take a back seat in future vehicle generations, the interior, and seating in particular, will become much more significant.
(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/469725/Adient_Realistic_Vehicle_Interior.jpg )
(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/469724/Adient_Front_Seat_Greeting_the_Driver.jpg )
"We believe that quality of life will be changed dramatically when the self-driving vehicle will be deployed in the market", said Andreas Maashoff, director Industrial Design and Craftsmanship Europe with Adient, at the Innovative Seating Conference in Düsseldorf. "Drivers will become riders along with passengers, and they will get from A to B while being able to find additional time for things that are more valuable in their lives." They will also be able to arrive at their destination more safely and less stressful through Adient's advanced seating technology.
The transition to self-driving vehicles heralds a paradigm shift in car design, with one result being completely new interior concepts. "At Adient, autonomous driving begins the moment the vehicle door is opened, with our seat greeting the driver and literally adapting to him," explained Maashoff. A total of 15 innovations have been incorporated into the current Adient luxury seating concept for autonomous driving systems.
For many years Adient, a spinoff from the multinational conglomerate Johnson Controls and a global leader in automotive seating, has been focusing heavily on the autonomous mobility of the future and the new possibilities for interiors and seating.
With its AI17 seating demonstrator, the company is showcasing its concept within a realistic vehicle interior. The AI17 was unveiled to the public for the first time in January at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The concept shows today how automated driving will impact the driver and passenger experience in a premium vehicle.
For more information on Adient, please visit adient.com.
About Adient:
Adient is a global leader in automotive seating. With 75,000 employees operating 230 manufacturing/assembly plants in 33 countries worldwide, we produce and deliver automotive seating for all vehicle classes and all major OEMs. From complete seating systems to individual components, our expertise spans every step of the automotive seat-making process. Our integrated, in-house skills allow us to take our products from research and design all the way to engineering and manufacturing - and into more than 25 million vehicles every year.
Media: Ulrich Andree, +49-2174-65-4343, ulrich.andree@adient.com
