When automakers file for a new patent application, customers know better than to think it will automatically make it to production. A huge chunk of these trademark ideas really don’t translate, but still, it’s fun for some to think of ways they could improve a car’s drivability and overall performance.
The latest application from General Motors is one of those things you didn’t think would make it into vehicles but would be glad if they do: a foot massager.
While massagers aren’t exactly something new, given that massaging car seats have been in a number of luxury cars such as the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, as well as the Ford F-150 Hybrid, one that is actually built into the vehicle does not exist.
This is the idea for GM’s recent patent filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The documents describe it as “a vehicle foot massage system for a vehicle floor includes a plurality of pneumatic elements positioned on the vehicle floor, an air pressure generating device, and a plurality of connecting lines each in communication with one of the plurality of pneumatic elements and with the air pressure generating device.”
Simply put, a foot massager that’s built on the floor itself, with the massaging effect created by small air-filled bags. Another possible inclusion is a display screen that vehicle occupants can use to control the technology. However, the driver will not have access to it.
Within the GM portfolio, this feature is likely to be offered in the new Cadillac Escalade, the Escalade ESV, or perhaps even the GMC Hummer EV. If the feature does reach production, it remains to be seen whether there will be a good enough demand for it in the market.
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