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4moms Set To Release Self-Installing, Computerized Car Seat

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Studies have shown that 80 percent of car seats have critical errors. But, what if a car seat installed itself perfectly, every time?

A company based here in Pittsburgh is getting ready to debut a robotic, computerized seat that does just that.

With pushes of just a few buttons, the new 4moms car seat is installed, practically by itself.

"At 4moms, we've been driven by a single idea, which is just 'believing in better,'" 4moms CEO Rob Daly said.

Daly said they've been working on this car seat for six years. They've been trying to perfect the robot that levels and tightens the car seat base into place.

"Eighty percent of all car seats have a critical installation error. Our feeling simply was that that's not okay," Daly said. "The reason it's been such a long process is that you need to build a machine that's incredibly smart and incredibly reliable."

So, a team started working, with a vision in mind.

"Every single time a mom went to back out of the driveway, she would wind up having an expert inspect that car seat and certify for her that it was as safe as it could be so she could back out of that driveway with total confidence," Daly said.

The car seat works with the 4moms app, which guides parents through the setup. But, it continues working long after.

"Every ten seconds, it will run a safety check to make sure everything is in the correct position so the parents can have peace of mind every time they put their baby in the car," a 4moms representative said.

Another safety feature? If the carrier is left in the base in the car, and you walk out of Bluetooth range, an alert will be sent to your phone asking you to verify that your baby is okay.

"To see it on the verge of coming out on the market and being a reality, is just more exciting than I can describe," Daly said.

The car seat retails for about $500 and will be in select retail stores by September.

Pre-orders are being taken at 4moms.com

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