Mercedes' Head Massager Invention Is Getting More Complex

The previous patent already gets into complicated engineering for tech that already exists and sounds like it should be easy to implement. The other patent suggests a sensor that detects the occupant's height and head position, then adjusts the massaging mechanism to the perfect position.

Now, Mercedes is talking about it being stored in the headrest and then coming out and being lowered onto the head of the vehicle occupant. Anyone remember when cars were, you know, things you drove instead of mobile butt-rub salons?

A Massage Spider On An Arm

Mercedes details how the head massager would be hidden by a motorized closure flap in the headrest and powered by an electromotive drive mechanism. Judging by the included illustration, an electric motor in the headrest and the head massage spider come out on an extending arm. Of course, as this is Mercedes, there will be a bunch of settings and functions the too choose from for a custom-tailored scalp massage.

As a level of luxury, we can't even find a chair or couch for the home with such a feature. Per the patent:

"Advantageously, the invention provides a pleasant and comfortable massage option for a vehicle occupant located on a vehicle seat of the vehicle, which only appears in the state of use and, in the non-use state, is stowed within the headrest in a space-saving and not visible manner and thus also does not impair the design impression of the interior of the vehicle."

The head massage spider is far from a new invention, but motorizing it and putting it in the headrest of a seat, let alone a car seat, looks to be a new level of luxury. And as described in the earlier patent, this can all be accessed from an infotainment screen or an app on your phone. On top of massaging seats, we can see the appeal of having a head massager on the feature or option package list for a luxury vehicle like the Mercedes S-Class or GLS class. That is, for passengers at least. For a driver, this seems terrifically distracting.

But Is It Realistic?

This patent has the aroma of protecting an idea a luxury competitor might come up with and get to market, rather than something Mercedes is truly serious about. The idea of a cheap little device made of springy metal and plastic extending out of a headrest to massage someone's scalp is the kind of thing we'd expect from a 1950s science show predicting the future. In 2026, it just seems a bit silly. 

There's also a liability aspect Mercedes lawyers have likely already ruled on. It seems like a motorized system scratching people's heads with springy wire has all kinds of potential liability. Having a Fortune 500 CEO suing for a scratched scalp or losing hair would not only be a lawsuit from hell, but the publicity would be hard to manage.

However, it's a fun idea to go with massaging seats, although they don't tend to be very strong or effective on any car because of the lawyers.