Adjustable Seat Concept

So based on a thread at BROL as well as my own observations on climbing performance, I started thinking what it would take to make a seat that is adjustable on the fly. The idea here is that there was a study that showed that the optimal hip angle for power production is about 105 degrees. (I'll try to hunt down that study again... I should have bookmarked). But that relatively "closed" position is less than optimal for aerodynamics. Also torso angle has some impact as well. Plain and simple we are designed to do aerobic things upright not lying on our backs.

The drawback to that position is that (sans fairing) it's aerodynamically crap. So what would be great would be to have a bike/seat that you could adjust over a wide range on the fly to suit the conditions. A more upright seat for climbing, more laid back for flats/downhills/headwinds. Somewhere in between for traffic. etc. This gives the added benefit of allowing you to vary the muscles involved which should improve long term endurance similarly to an upright bike.

The requirements that I can see for this seat are as follows:

• The hip joint to pedal distance must remain constant.
  
• The shape of the seat must be comfortable and efficient in all positions
  
• The adjustment range must be at least 30 degrees with multiple intermediate positions. (continuous adjustability is desirable though not required)
  
• The seat must be able to be adjusted safely while riding.
  
• The weight must not be significantly more than a nonadjustable seat (total seat weight should be in the 4lbs range or less)

To this end I am thinking of a hardshell carbon seat in 3 sections. The seatpan will be attached to the frame, the back rest will be supported by the frame by ratcheted stays, and the shoulder rest will be supported by connecting members that make a parallelogram with the seat back so that the angle to the ground remains constant. The following images show the general idea. They are not to scale and the lower pivot would probably need to move to keep the hip-pedal distance constant, but it shows the concept.