Ikea could build Autonomous mobile living rooms
Ikea is looking at creating autonomous shuttles with lounge-like interiors as a business opportunity. Ikea’s Research and Development department, known as Space10 has revealed several virtual concepts for their vision of the future. Carrying on from their area of expertise, the concept vehicles have Ikea interiors with drawers, tables, and sofa chairs etc.
Space10, the furniture giant’s research and development arm, has revealed several virtual design concepts that outline its vision for the future of commuting. Ikea said in a statement:
“The real potential of self-driving cars isn’t in our ability to drive without having our hands on the wheel. It’s in what we will be able to do or experience within self-driving cars,”
The concepts are named Office, Cafe, Healthcare, Farm, Play, Hotel, and Shop, respectively. Some of them fall in line with what we’ve already seen from established automakers.
Volvo’s recently unveiled its own future concept vehicle, super-futuristic 360c concept. This design explores what an electric shuttle that lets passengers work, relax, or sleep while on the go in an autonomous office or living room.
Space10 have suggested that their autonomous Cafe concept is like a coffee shop on wheels where people can enjoy a coffee while in transit.
The Farm vehicle could be used to deliver fresh food, especially delivery of fresh produce to members of low-income communities who might have a difficult time getting to a store or a market.
The Play vehicle is a small room on wheels in which users can play augmented reality games tied into the vehicle’s surroundings. Imagine immersing yourself in augmented reality video games as you commute to and from work.
The autonomous Shop concept is based on a pop-up store and making it mobile. Is it possible that this concept could put the ice cream van driver out of a job?
Healthcare brings medical professionals to patients and not the other way around. It’s decked out with all of the equipment needed for a check-up, and it can dispatch a roof-mounted flying taxi to the nearest hospital in the event of an emergency.
Space10 has created an app to let Apple users experience the seven autonomous design concepts from every angle on their iPhone or iPad. This is probably as close as you will get for the foreseeable future to autonomous rooms, as it's still quite too early to tell if any of these concepts could actually hit public roads.
Space10 is not planning to build prototypes just yet but they may be waiting for another company to start building autonomous shuttles before they seriously look into furnishing them.
There is certainly no indication from Ikea or the Space10 team to develop an autonomous car from start to finish but many other companies are presently racing toward that goal. Volvo is currently working on one. Is it possible that the two Swedish giants could join forces? We shall have to wait and see.
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