Nissan & TBWA\HAKUHODO Put Driverless Tech... Into Chairs?

Nissan has unveiled the latest in its series of autonomous innovations. With its corporate vision of ‘enriching people's lives through technology’ – once again, Nissan has effectively hacked our daily lives with the disruptive help of TBWA\HAKUHODO. This comes after their first initiative ‘Intelligent Parking Chair’ won the Digital Grand Prix at Spikes Asia.

The ProPILOT Chairs, named after the Nissan's flagship autonomous driving technology, move in a line while detecting and automatically following a pre-programmed path, maintaining a fixed distance between each chair. 

The same user-friendly philosophy underpins the ProPILOT technology for vehicles, which has been available in the redesigned Nissan Serena minivan in Japan since August. Cars equipped with this technology maintain a safe distance behind the vehicle ahead, and also ensures the car remains in the centre of the driving lane.

The chair builds on this concept, but with a fun twist – customers are swept along a queue in arms of a comfortable chair, enjoying a smooth stress-free ride all the way to the front. The chairs even instinctively return to the back of the queue after delivering their precious cargo.

"The ProPILOT chair demonstrates not only the technology of autonomous driving but also its benefits and the comfort it brings to people," said Takahiro Hosoda, senior creative director. “Reducing the need to stand in lengthy queues, the chair eliminates both tedium and physical strain. No more butting in. No more shuffling belongings along as you impatiently wait your turn at restaurants, shops, or public attractions. A truly innovative and ‘moving’ experience.”

Nissan recently demonstrated five ProPILOT chairs in the public gallery at Nissan Global Headquarters. Interestingly, many people queued up for the unique experience of queuing comfortably. Restaurants and sales outlets in Japan have the opportunity to use the chairs at their premises by simply hash-tagging #NissanProPilotChair and #Wanted on social media, along with their name and webpage.

In the weeks following the launch, over 50 restaurants and shops have applied for the ProPILOT Chairs. While the majority are restaurants, the applicants also include hairdressers and even hospitals. The opportunity ends December 27th, with the chairs appearing in selected locations in early 2017.