Nissan has launched an autonomous chair based on its automotive ProPilot semi-autonomous driving technology that maintains a safe driving distance between vehicles, among other safety features.
Presumably a clever marketing gimmick, as with the vehicular ProPilot system, the ProPilot Chair, detects and automatically follows the chair ahead of it, maintaining a fixed spacing along a set path.
This closely resembles how the ProPilot system for vehicles — available on the Serena minivan in Japan since August — maintains a safe distance behind the car ahead, and ensures that the vehicle stays in the centre of its lane.
The idea of the ProPilot Chair should appeal to anyone who has queued for hours outside a crowded restaurant, but it outlines a serious point about the rapid development of autonomous systems.
