The
company 4moms has engineered new products that revolutionize the lives of
parents all around the world. In this article, the author specifically focuses
on the new infant car seat presented at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show
(CES). This invention is a product replacement of a traditional car seat for
young children and integrates an old and established product with new
technology. 4moms links the parent’s smartphone into the process of installing
the car seat in order to reduce error and to ensure the safety of the child.
4moms mission is fix this security issue because according to 4moms, 4 out of 5
car seats are installed incorrectly meaning that approximately 25 million
children worldwide are driving around in an unsafe car seat (Gmoser).
The car seat installs
similarly to other car seats, but is adjusted and secured using smart
technology. Steele explains, “Once you attach the base's anchors to the hooks
in your vehicle, the car seat automatically levels itself [with the push of a
button] and properly tensions those belts to secure it” (Steele). After the
initial safety check, every time the seat is put back into the base holder, the
technology will do another complete safety check and “will turn the continuous
monitoring system on to verify that any time the child is in the seat, its securely
installed” (Gmoser). This update to the traditional car seat is very productive
in enhancing the security of children everywhere and is a product that I would
personally invest in if it meant the safeguard of my child.
Along with the physical security component that the car seat features, the technology is also set up to alert the parent if the seat is not correctly installed through smart phone access. It gives live
updates of the tension, levels, etc. along with how many security checks were
performed and when the last security check was performed. This is all available through
the “continuous monitoring” feature. This product also provides an automated
guided installation process via the smartphone app to continue to assist
parents in guaranteeing the protection of their child.
Though detailed with its descriptions of this updated technology, I believe this article lacks
the other advancements that this car seat could offer for parent. Though this
could be due to this product being fairly new, I would like to see what other
directions this product could take. I believe this technology has the potential
to grow exponentially and eventually has the capacity to help a multitude of
people, other than just infants.
Gmoser, Justin. "This Self-Installing Car Seat is Designed to Eliminate Human Error." BusinessInsider. Business Insider, 11 Jan. 2016. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.
Steele, Billy. "Can a High-Tech Car Seat Offer a Safer Ride for Your Baby?" Engadget. Aol, 16 Jan. 2016. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.
I think that this article introduces a unique and innovative product, that can dramatically improve the lives and safety of families. It is unnerving that there are over 25 million children who are using unsafe car seats, due to parents not installing the seats correctly. In a generation where parents rely heavily on technology and their cellphones in every day life, this product will ensure the safety of children, using a device that parents have on them at all times. It would have been beneficial if cost was discussed in this article. Innovative technologies such as these are usually expensive. If this car seat is considerably more expensive then other car seats, there will be many parents who will not be able to afford this luxury. 4moms will also need to provide extensive reviews and research to prove that this car seat is correctly monitoring the safety of the child. With technology, there is always a risk of malfunction and it is possible that these car seats could break and leave the child in unsafe conditions mid ride. While more information will need to be provided before parents can fully trust this product, it does prove to have potential in being successful.
ReplyDeleteThe idea behind this car seat is incredibly interesting and innovative. For parents, the safety of their child or children is their number one priority, and with that being said the market for a product like this is huge. Many parents splurge when it comes to their children, and if it is for their safety they are even more likely to spend that extra amount for the newest product. So, even if this product comes at a high price tag, people will be inclined to buy it. In addition, the safety aspect of this product is incredibly important. It is very easy for someone to incorrectly strap in a car seat and for a young child that is extremely dangerous. While parents may argue that they know the proper way to strap the seat down, what if the child is left with a close relative or nanny for a few hours and they incorrectly install the seat? This will increase the safety of a child riding with them, when the parents cannot be there to make sure everything is perfect. Considering how prevalent car accidents are one mistake when installing a car seat could be fatal, and this product will be the latest, most cutting-edge method to prevent such a tragedy. That is, if the product works as well as described. One problem I see is while the person is told if the car seat is securely attached to the base, how will someone know if the base is securely attached to the car? If the base were not properly installed, then it would not matter how well the seat was attached to the base. In addition, while a parent can constantly monitor how well the car seat is attached through an app, if the parent is driving they would not be able to check that app. It would be equally as dangerous if a parent were continuously looking at their phone to check the status of the car seat. All in all I do believe, that if they figure out the couple issues I presented it could be revolutionary in terms of the safety of young children riding in cars.
ReplyDeleteI think people who would by this product already would have enough awareness for the importance of installing a car seat correctly, so they could just fix the problem this product aims to do themselves. The figure they give of 70% of car seats being installed incorrectly is definitely shocking. Most people however would probably just go make sure theirs is after watching this instead of spending $499.99 on this one. The auto leveling feature is a cool one, but I'm curious as to how they determined the exact angle at which babies are most comfortable and safest in—and what kind a difference this makes to the baby or in the event of an accident. I think the angle of rear seats doesn't fluctuate dramatically enough model to model to warrant making the base of a car seat electronic. I am glad to have a raised awareness for the importance of installing car seats correctly. This is very creative, but it seems over complicated, oversized, and overpriced for a pretty straight forward task. To buy this product I'd first have to admit to myself that I didn't' think I could figure out an ordinary car seat, and that’s not something I’d like to do. Rather I would just properly install a non-electronic car seat for hundreds of dollars less not having to worry about batteries and an app, still have equal safety. I wouldn't buy this as is, but agree that it will be interesting to see what other directions it could take and how it may improve. I’m sure this a very safe car seat, but I still wouldn’t buy it.
ReplyDeleteI truly believe 4mom’s advanced car seat is going to change the lives of parents everywhere. Nothing is more important to a parent than their child’s safety and this new car seat will ensure that their children are safe while riding in a car. Any parents who hears of this product would be crazy not to purchase it to ensure their child’s safety. Because research has shown that 4 out of 5 car seats are actually installed incorrectly, this product is a must have. This new car seat is adjusted and secured using new technology to ensure that the car seat is correctly installed. The technology does continuous safety checks to ensure that the child riding in the seat is safe at all times. Because children are so defenseless, it is entirely the responsibility of their parents to keep them safe, especially while in a car. That is why this car seat is going to extremely important for parents to buy. In addition to ensuring that the car seat is installed correctly while the parent is installing it, this app also goes the extra mile to alert the parent when something has gone wrong and the car seat is no longer installed correctly.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that is awesome about this product is that it is only the beginning. This new technology is going to improve the safety of children everywhere and is the first step in using new technology to improve children’s safety. Before this article, I had no idea that 4 out of 5 car seats were installed incorrectly. That is why it is crucial for companies like 4moms to do research like this, discover safety hazards, and create products to correct them. Once this product becomes a huge success, which I have no doubt that it will, 4moms can start working on a new project like this that can increase child safety even more.
This new car seat is going to generate tons of revenue because it takes the classic car seat that all parents are obligated to purchase, and it makes it better. Therefore, this car seat is going to be a must have for any parent. 4moms has made a great invention with this new car seat and it is going to be the car seat of the future.
I believe that this is a very innovative product and has great potential to be one of the most purchased child products in the future. I agree with your point that this product lacks the some innovations that could be implemented. For example, added padding or other safety features that will help keep the child safe upon impact in an accident. This product will probably sell very well too because parents will do anything in their power to keep their child safe and if this can facilitate that process than this is the product for them. My only concern is if there is a glitch in the system. What if the product is not in fact installed correctly and becomes unsafe for the child to ride in. My mom used to go to the police station every six months to have them reinstall the car seats to ensure that they were continuously remaining safe. I personally would much rather trust a human with the safety of my child as opposed to a computer.
ReplyDeleteI feel that this product is somewhat beneficial because it ensures the most safe conditions for children. Cars are very unsafe and I'm really surprised this has only just been created now. The only thing I'm unsure about is the phone paring, I just don't feel its practical. It seems that today everything has to be paired with your phone. For example I was trying to buy a dimable lightbulb and pretty much every single one was required to be paired with a phone. This is one more thing I have to pair with a phone. I understand its meant to be more user friendly but wouldn't receiving a text about your child's seat while driving be more unsafe than the child being in an unsafe position? If someone gets in a car accident I don't think a perfect leveling of the seat will save the child's life. Its about speed, impact, direction, and more. Maybe if the seat had accident protection it would be a lot more efficient. I really feel that this is a job that can be accomplished with an observant parent. If something doesn't look right than they should fix it and not wait for a computer to tell them to do it. Its a neat product but most people are going to get a car seat that is easy to take in and out of a vehicle and doesn't need to be paired with a phone to function.
ReplyDeleteI find this product to be very beneficial for future generations of children. This products seems to be in the beginning stages, but this technology can be very useful. One thing that stood out to me was the fact that the car seat alerts you if it is not properly installed. I felt like it would be a potential problem if the car seat did not have that feature. I thing to me that is very concerning is how exactly is someone's phone going to be paired with the car seat. There could be a lot of security issues if all you are using to sync the car seat to your phone is an app. Also, I'm curious as to efficient this technology is. Although this technology is in the beginning stages it can be potentially very useful.
ReplyDeleteLiving in such a technologically forward time period has allowed us to see and own things previous generations would have never even imagined. Although this isn’t one of the hoverboards Marty McFly saw when he visited the future, this is a great invention for safety. When a child is born, he or she has to be taken home from the hospital in a car seat, but there are no guarantees that this car seat has been properly installed. This new car seat would take away that aspect of unsafety from the get-go. This car seat is also a first step in an increase in safety features of products made to keep children safe. Other inventors can look at the technology used within this car seat to begin to create more safe play pens, cribs, and products used to keep babies entertained. Contrary to what this product offers us, there are also precautions that need to be taken. Technology fails and malfunctions; its inevitable. 4moms needs to be ready to deal with the consequences of this technology failing and how detrimental it could be to the infant sitting in the seat. While I do think this product will be useful and helpful to parents across the country, a new product that holds such precious cargo needs to have extra testing and results calculated before parents trust that this product is safe for their newborns to ride in.
ReplyDeleteThis product proves to be very innovative and extremely important in today's world. With such a large focus on vehicle safety, this product offers an innovative way to ensure the safety and security of children's car seats. I think that this product will do extremely well in the market because of parents' will to do anything to ensure the safety of their children. Although the safety components of the product prove to be helpful and give parents a piece of mind when it comes to the reliability and safety of their child's car seat, I think this product needs to offer more than just ensure the proper leveling of the car seat. I think this is a great start at improving the safety of children in car and was unaware that 4 of 5 car seats are not installed correctly, which further proves the importance of this product. This type of technology could also be used for other children's products such as strollers or cribs in ensure ultimate safety and assure that they are set up correctly. One downside to this product is the pricing. Many parents will not be able to afford such a product. This could be an opportunity for improvement in creating a more affordable product that ensures the same amount of security and safety in the children's car seat market. Overall, this product has a lot of potential in the market in addition to a great deal of opportunity for future improvements and additional products of its kind.
ReplyDelete