Russian company PP Zvezda has patented a lightweight ejection seat for general aviation aircraft. According to a report from FlightGlobal, the device is activated by high pressure air from a cylinder directed into a metal telescopic ram integrated with the seat. The system releases to eject the cockpit canopy, then pushes the seat upward, the ram extending out into the slipstream, until the seat and its occupant is clear of the plane. Then a parachute automatically deploys.
I saw the video of the in-flight test and it would be limited to aircraft with a canopy, not a hard roof like a piper and certinly not most high wings like a Cessna. That leaves the LSA and EAB fields wide open as many of those aircraft have the required canopy. The big decision then is whether to put a parachute on the aircraft like Cirrus or just go with ejection seats. There is an operational limitation that the user must be aware of and just as with the first military systems, this system requires a minimum altitude / airspeed in order for a safe deployment. It will get you clear of the tail but is certinly not the so called Zero-Zero systems the military uses these days. An accidental deployment on the ground might be survivable but that landing will hurt as the parachute will not be deployed enough to be of any use.
The first inadvertent or unintentional ejection will put the kabosh on this idea. The “nylon approach” will likely remain the preferred choice.
Should be interesting in a Cessna or a Piper.