Self-driving cars are a technological advancement we're slowly getting accustomed to seeing. Self-driving chairs on the other hand? Well, they're not quite as common but when they do make an appearance it seems to be the result of a Nissan experiment.
Following its self-parking chairs, Nissan is showcasing its advancements in automated driving technology by releasing a line of self-driving chairs.
Named ProPILOT after the company's self-driving technology, the chairs have been designed to make waiting in long lines a more bearable experience.
Rolling to victory
Instead of queues filled with unhappy standing people, slowly shuffling towards their goal, Nissan envisions queues where everyone is seated in ProPILOT chairs which automatically follow a preset path, using sensors to follow one another and maintain a safe distance.
Unfortunately, unless you live in Japan, it's unlikely you'll get to take a seat in a ProPilot any time soon. Nissan has set up a demo unit in its headquarters in Yokohama and it's taking applications from restaurants across Japan interested in helping their queueing customers take a load off. Restaurants successful in their applications will be kitted out with the self-driving seats in 2017.
We're going to need to come up with a new collective noun for these chairs, as a "fleet" sounds too purposeful. A waft? An escargatoire? We're open to suggestions. You can see the chairs in action below for inspiration:
