Why it takes mad origami skills to work as a Lexus upholsterer
Posted Jul 8th 2012 4:03PM
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Lexus sets high standards for the craftsmen behind the interior of the 2013 ES 350. Automotive News reports those responsible for stitching the leather on the sedan's instrument panel must first pass a simple test. Given a blank piece of paper, the applicants must construct an origami cat's head. No big deal, right? Not exactly. Lexus makes each worker fold the piece using one hand, whichever one happens to be their non-dominant. As if that weren't difficult enough, they have to do it in under 90 seconds.
That kind of manual dexterity is tricky to master. According to Automotive News, it can take years to become a Takumi, but the level of control is important for work typically relegated to mechanized hands.
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