This project was sponsored by Ford, who came to our team with a desire to create a child safety seat to integrate with their new Ford Sync system—a dashboard computer to aid drivers. It is difficult to drive with a crying child, and infants should be returned to a horizontal position as soon as they are removed from the car.
Our group interviewed mothers and fathers and we watched them use car seats. We watched them load, unload and drive with a child. We focused on how the Sync system might help reduce driver distractions by entertaining the child.
The proposed safety seat an egg-shaped child safety seat with an e-ink screen to entertain children of all ages. Special handles on the top and bottom allow the parent to easily remove the seat from the car and enables him or her to carry the seat like a laundry basket. A release mechanism allows the child to sit horizontally after a ride.
