An actuator includes a first hinge assembly and a second hinge assembly. The actuator has a first dimension and a second dimension, the first dimension extending through the hinge assemblies. An outer skin is connected to the hinge assemblies. The outer skin defines a first actuator side, a second actuator side residing opposite the first actuator side, and a cavity. Shape-memory material (SMM) members are connected to the opposed hinge assemblies. At least one spring member is positioned within the cavity and structured to exert forces on the opposed first and second actuator sides tending to urge the sides away from each other along the second dimension. When an input is provided to the SMM members, the SMM members change their configurations and cause the actuator to morph into an activated configuration in which the first dimension decreases and the second dimension changes inversely to the first dimension.

Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for controlling a vehicle seat so as to control a seat back and a neck pillow based on a sound. The apparatus includes the vehicle seat installed in a vehicle and including a seat back and a neck pillow, a detector for detecting vehicle information and seat information, and a processor connected to the vehicle seat and the detector, wherein the processor determines a vehicle state and a seat sitting posture based on the vehicle information and the seat information, analyzes a sound being reproduced in the vehicle, determines a haptic pattern and a haptic pressure based on the vehicle state and the seat sitting posture, and the analysis of the sound, and controls the seat back and the neck pillow based on the determined haptic pattern and haptic pressure to provide a haptic effect.

A vehicle seat is provided herein. The vehicle seat includes a cushion disposed within a seating member having at least one inflatable first bladder for selectively adjusting the firmness of the cushion. An inflatable second bladder is separated from a support surface of the seating member by the first bladder and fluidly connected to the first bladder. A vehicle seat hip pivot point is maintained when adjusting the firmness of the cushion by increasing the pressure in the second bladder when the pressure in the first bladder is selectively decreased, and by decreasing the pressure in the second bladder when the pressure in the first bladder is selectively increased.

Provided is a vehicle seat with a structure enabling a rockable moving piece to be disposed in a seat face in a well-fitting manner. A vehicle seat in which a rocking means having a drive mechanism and a moving piece for conveying rocking movement of the drive mechanism to a seated person is disposed in a through hole obtained by hollowing out a portion of a seat face of a seat cushion, wherein: a recess which is recessed in the thickness direction so as to surround the through hole is disposed in the seat face of the seat cushion; and the moving piece is shaped so that the bottom surface side follows the recess.

A vehicle seat in accordance with the present disclosure includes a seat bottom and a seat back. The seat back is coupled to the seat bottom to move relative to the seat bottom. The seat bottom is coupled to a floor of a vehicle and configured to move relative to the seat back.

A method, device and system for a method, device, and system for automatically adjusting driver-related in-vehicle equipment, the method including the steps of: acquiring a driver's height from a detection device of a vehicle; determining preset values of additional body parameters of the driver based on the driver's height and calculating a position for entry using the driver's height and the preset values of the additional body parameters of the driver; and adjusting the equipment including a driver's seat to the position for entry so as to facilitate the driver to enter the vehicle and sit on the seat.

A vehicle seat control apparatus is equipped in a vehicle capable of travelling by automated driving and is configured to set a position and attitude of a seat of the vehicle to a driving position in low automated driving and to set the position and attitude of the seat to a relaxing position in high automated driving. The vehicle seat control apparatus includes an alertness detecting device configured to detect an alertness level of a driver seated on the seat, a computation control device configured to drive the seat driving device to perform an alerting operation if the alertness level is lower than a predetermined level when driving of the vehicle transitions from the high automated driving to the low automated driving, and a seat driving device configured to displace the seat at a higher speed than at a transition from the driving position to the relaxing position.

Systems and methods are disclosed for supporting and executing automated control of adjustable components of a vehicle based on occupant classification in a group identity database. Methods and systems for generating and employing the group identity database are also disclosed. Occupancy information may be utilized to determine how the group identity database is employed.

The disclosure provides for a system that includes one or more cabin components in a vehicle and one or more computing devices of the vehicle. The one or more computing devices are configured to determine that a vehicle will have an acceleration in a first direction at a future time and an acceleration time associated with the acceleration of the vehicle, alter the one or more cabin components of the vehicle before the acceleration time, and adjust the one or more cabin components of the vehicle based on the acceleration of the vehicle over time.

A seat control system for setting a driving posture and a seat control method is provided, in which body shape information indicating a body shape is input. Posture range information corresponding to the input body shape information is extracted from body shape posture range correspondence information, in which the body shape information and posture range information indicating a posture range of a vehicle seat corresponding to a driving posture range correspond to each other. A posture of the vehicle seat is controlled such that the posture of the vehicle seat falls within the posture range of the vehicle seat indicated by the extracted posture range information.