Volvo’s latest concept in automotive safety isn’t a car at all, but something that any driver with small children will find useful: an inflatable child seat.
Conceived by Lawrence Abele, a design manager at Volvo’s Los Angeles-based Monitoring and Concept Center, the seat weighs less than 11 pounds, about half that of a traditional child seat, and can fit into an average-sized backpack when deflated. Expanding it takes only 40 seconds thanks to a quiet on-board pump, which can be activated remotely via a built-in Bluetooth receiver.
The Inflatable Child Seat Concept is made of a unique drop-stitch fabric capable of withstanding high internal pressure. According to Abele, it’s commonly found in boating and was developed by the military for use on inflatable airplanes.
Abele’s inspiration came from the fact that he has two toddlers of his own, and was dismayed at the bulkiness of typical child safety seats. He found them particularly cumbersome for traveling parents, and speaks to the added safety of having your seats available on taxis, rental cars, or buses.
There is no word on whether Volvo plans to develop the Inflatable Child Seat Concept for production at this time. Watch the video below of the seat in action.
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