By Aleasha Sandley, Herald Bulletin Staff Writer
Tis the season for holiday travel, and those long trips in the car can make for one aching back.
In fact, poor back support in car seats is one of the top issues facing drivers today, a fact that became apparent to chiropractor Paul Phipps while treating patients at his Indianapolis practice.
Phipps treated numerous pharmaceutical representatives, many who would spend hours in the car traveling for work. He recommended they buy a watch with a timer to remind them to change positions in their car seat every 10 minutes to alleviate their back pain.
Then he decided there had to be a simpler way.
That’s when Phipps devised a product that would allow car seats to make small adjustments throughout a long trip to keep drivers pain free and less fatigued and improve circulation.
“This is important enough that we need to think about introducing this in the automotive industry,” Phipps said.
After getting in touch with long-time automotive representatives from Anderson and securing workspace at the Flagship Enterprise Center, Phipps’ Comfort Motion Technologies was born, and the team quickly set about getting patents for the technology, conducting human testing and coming up with a marketing plan.
Anderson seemed like the natural place to locate the new business, with its rich automotive history. Phipps’ partners, Alan Rowley, Tom Epply and Tom Estes, brought their automotive and marketing expertise to the company.
“It just fit together very well,” Phipps said. “This is where all the auto minds are.”
Recently, CMT was invited to be a member of the Transportation Activity Safety Institute in recognition of how its technology could contribute to driver safety by keeping them more alert and less fatigued.
“We at CMT believe that our technology can be a critical element to any activity safety system technology,” Rowley said.
TASI’s interest in CMT shows that the company will be considered the experts in the car seat technology field as it is the only one doing research and development on multi-position software.
“You’re looked at as the expert, and we truly are in this arena,” Phipps said.
The multi-position software will be incorporated into cars’ computers, likely with a button on the dash or a touch screen to activate it. Once users determine their preferred seating position, the software will use small movements to adjust the driver’s weight every few minutes, depending on the chosen cycle.
The short, subtle movements allow the driver to remain in comfortable relation with the steering wheel, pedals and rearview mirrors at all times.
“It’s not a difficult concept,” Phipps said. “You’re going to adjust yourself in the seat by wriggling around. This does that for you.”
In fact, the ease of the system is what has drawn car companies’ interest.
It is easy for them to install, since it doesn’t require remodeling existing seats since it is a software product. And consumers have good feedback on the product because, even if they don’t understand the mechanics of the spine, they do know sitting on one position makes them achey.
“It has universal appeal and acceptance simply because it makes sense,” Phipps said.
Although they are focusing on the auto industry, the multi-position software eventually could have applications in other industries, like airlines, trucking and power wheelchairs.
CMT now is in the process of human subject testing at Ball State University’s Biomechanics Laboratory and has seen encouraging results. Tests have shown that the multi-positions seats were preferred over static seats and that they decreased all types of pain, as well as the intensity of pain, compared to static seats.
The multi-position seats also improved circulation over static seats, making the product marketable to those with lower vascular problems.
“It opens up a number of avenues for us to go down in terms of marketing,” Rowley said.
The company has seen a number of awards and recognition in its short time at the Flagship. The American Chiropractic Association considers the software one of highest quality products available, and was finalist for a Mira Award, which recognizes Indiana’s leaders in technology.
The company also received Indiana’s 21st Century Fund Recognition Award given to small businesses with innovative research.
“They’re a good Flagship client because they’re investing in technology and the transportation industry,” said DeWayne Landwehr, Flagship’s executive director. “This is one of Flagship’s charters is to help companies that are technologically involved.”
CMT credits the Flagship as a contributor to its success.
“Anderson, Madison County is really fortunate to have something like the Flagship,” Phipps said.
Landwehr hopes CMT’s success will bring jobs and capital growth to Anderson.
“That’s what we’re after here is jobs,” he said. “That remains to be seen as the company expands and obtains contracts with the auto industry.”
CMT is in talks with auto companies to find the best fit for the product, which could be successful in any kind of car with automatic seats.
“We think it is a differentiator if someone is picking between two cars,” Rowley said.
CMT now must choose among the auto and car seat manufacturers who have shown interest in the product.
“We’re fairly close to being able to commercialize this,” Rowley said. “We’ve just got to find and accept the right partnership.”
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Comfort Motion Technologies’ multi-position software
• Makes small movements in car seats, adjusting driver’s weight every few minutes depending on chosen cycle
• Reduces fatigue, increases alertness and circulation, reduces all types of pain and pain intensity associated with long drives
• Can come equipped in cars with power seats or as an after-market product
