Frank Stephenson, renowned for his design work with Ferrari and Maserati, was in Chicago on 12th February, around the time of the 2024 Chicago Auto Show, to discuss his innovative design approach for the newly launched car seat babyark.
The creation of the babyark car seat, by Stephenson and Shy Mindel, a former aeronautical engineer now a parent, represents a comprehensive take on safety. It combines military-grade construction materials with cutting-edge IoT smart technology. The design is inspired by nature, mimicking the energy-absorbing structure of a woodpecker’s skull and the protective form of an egg.
“After dedicating years to designing luxury automobiles, I ventured into the realm of child safety,” Stephenson remarked. “While passenger safety was always a priority in my designs, the babyark car seat has broadened my perspective. My involvement in the development of babyark has elevated my work and I’m honoured to contribute to setting a new safety benchmark in a sector lacking innovation for years.”
Mindel shared his motivation, “As a father, the idea of placing my most valuable treasures into a basic, low-tech device was unsettling. From the moment I brought my twins home, I felt compelled to develop a safer, more intuitive car seat. Collaborating with Frank and our team, we’ve transformed the car seat, enhancing the safety and comfort our children require and deserve.”
Stephenson and Mindel have revolutionised child safety through a seat that merges sophisticated engineering and design with a connected app for Android and iOS users, simplifying car seat safety and offering reassurance that children are securely seated at all times. The seat includes:
- Hardware: Constructed with military-grade anti-crash materials, featuring a CrbnEgg carbon fibre egg-shaped shell, a JoltFree headrest utilising D3O impact-absorbing polymer, a Steel SafeCoil energy-absorbing system to decelerate the seat’s forward motion during a crash, and BioArk side-impact protection that emulates the woodpecker’s skeletal structure.
- Software: Incorporated with 14 sensors in the ‘smart base’ and a personal mobile app, providing instant notifications on child safety, such as correct seat installation, buckle status, or if a child is accidentally left in the vehicle.
This car seat, which caters to infants and children from 0-6 years old, weighing 4 to 55 pounds in rear-facing position and 26.5 to 65 pounds forward-facing, does not have an expiry date. Debuting at CES in 2023, where it received recognition as an innovation and award honouree, the babyark Car Seat is available for purchase at babyark.com and select retailers for $990.
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