Ferrari applies for patent for automatic cockpit adjustment system to automatically select the ideal driving position for the driver

Many users have experienced this: they lend their cars to friends or family, and when they return them, the seats have been adjusted. According to foreign media reports, in order to solve this problem, Ferrari is researching an automatic cockpit adjustment system.

(Photo credit: Ferrari)

The company's patent application, filed with the European Patent Office (EPO), states that in the past "multiple manual or semi-automatic adjustments were required to make the cockpit (i.e. the driving position of the car) comfortable each time a different driver entered the vehicle."

Ferrari's invention aims to solve these problems by automatically adjusting the cockpit to the driver's shape and size. The filing describes an on-board processor that scans human body measurements and creates an ergonomic position for the driver.

The document also mentions that this is ideal for rental fleets or vehicles that frequently have different drivers (such as experience driving schools). Ferrari has considered various aspects of driver comfort in detail, such as the ideal position of the hips, knees and shoulders.

The patent application states that the system theoretically targets an optimal configuration "including adjusting the height and depth of the driver's seat elastic cushion, and/or the tilt and thickness of the driver's seat back, and/or one or more rearview mirrors of the vehicle, and/or the verticality and horizontality of the steering wheel."

The system is flexible, and it takes no more than two minutes to adjust the cabin to the ideal position. This technology may appeal to tech enthusiasts and supercar rental fleet owners, and provide more convenience for drivers, but it may be just a gimmick for private car owners.