A high-tech headrest designed to reduce whiplash injuries

“Our goal is to have a good summary of how we think the system has performed in September,” Edwards said.

If the tests prove that true active head restraints are effective in reducing whiplash injuries, the IIHS may persuade automakers to install the system.

With 2,500 employees and plants in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, China and Europe, Windsor Machines Group was founded in 1946 and the company makes headrests and armrests for the Detroit 3 and many other global automakers.

According to Ahmed Fargawi, Executive Vice President of Engineering, the company In 2019, he envisions the potential to expand energy storage beyond being a convenience feature for customers.

“When we started developing power head seats, we thought, ‘How do we change it to something more intelligent or intelligent, something that adjusts itself when the vehicle is in danger of a collision?'” said Farghawi.

One of the challenges Windsor’s engineers faced was comfort for the occupants of the seat. For a headrest to be effective in reducing or preventing whiplash, it needs to be as close to the head as possible and as high as possible — a position many drivers find uncomfortable, says Fargawi. In fact, due to discomfort, most drivers don’t properly maintain their head restraints to reduce or prevent whiplash.

But True Active headrests can solve that problem, because the system can move the headrest up and down or back and forward, or in both directions at the same time. “Radar communicates with our seat that a collision is occurring. The passenger can adjust from anywhere in less than a second, hopefully preventing injuries before an accident occurs,” Fargawi said.

Windsor Machines officials demonstrated the system to automakers last spring.

In April, Ford, Toyota, Stellar and General Motors invited engineers to see a demonstration. They said they were driving close behind the vehicle equipped with the system and that an accident was about to happen.

Fergawi said automakers have shown “great interest” but want to see the system proven in a real crash.