Nissan is using some of the technologies that power its self-driving vehicles in automated chairs that promise to “make queuing easy and fun” for the masses.
These futuristic pieces of furniture are called ProPILOT Chair. They automatically detect the chairs around them, move someone along a line, and then scoot back to the starting position whenever that person reaches the end. While this seems like a joke — is it really that hard for people to stand in a line? — Nissan appears to be completely serious about using self-driving vehicle tech in mobile chairs.
A video about the ProPILOT Chair explains that they can be used for long lines, to help clean up, and to ensure nobody bumps into anybody else while queuing. The company is currently looking for storefronts to test these self-driving chairs. They will currently be limited to Japan only, however, and it’s not clear whether or not Nissan ever plans to make the futuristic furniture available in other countries.
Nissan is no stranger to unique transportation concepts. The company has also designed a high-tech scooter and a self-driving vehicle that’s focused on entertainment and sustainability.
Those vehicles could lead to more sustainable vehicles on the road, allow people to focus less on driving, and improve safety on the highway. For those who are more worried about not wanting to spend time standing in line, though, the ProPILOT Chair has its counterparts beat. They’ll just have to hope the chairs can’t be hacked as easily as some of Nissan’s cars.
Otherwise it would just be chaos.
