NISSAN CREATES SWEAT-SENSING SEATS AND STEERING WHEEL TO DETECT DEHYDRATION

Japanese Automaker Nissan has termed up with Dutch design Droog to develop seats and steering wheel which change color due to sweat.

Yes we'll admit, that it sounds pretty gross and potentially a little too personal. But it is interesting technology. Nissan juke, the steering wheel and seats are outfitted  with a special cloth coated in a material  called SOAK. It looks normal at first,but when you've been sweating a lot, the cloth changes colors depending on your hydration. If you're dehydrated the cloth turns yellow, and after rehydrating, the cloth turns blue.

Now you may be asking, why it is this so important besides general health? Well, Nissan cites a study by the European Hydration Institute and Loughborough University in the U.K that found dehydrated   drivers are as dangerous as drivers with a blood-alcohol content of 0.08, the legal limit both in the U.K and throughout the U.S with that in mind, a car company would have some interest in keeping people from driving impaired.

Somehow, we don't see these hydration materials becoming common in cars anytime soon, though. For one , we're not so sure people want their sweat so clearly visualized in their cars, nor do we think many people want to see their upholstery become discolored for any reason. There's also the issue that you can become dehydrated, even without exercising, it's possible you could be dehydrated, even without really obvious signs. But it is an interesting project, and we can imagine the fabric could find a home in athletic wear.