You’ve heard of self-driving cars, drones and other autonomous technology. But you probably haven’t heard of self-driving slippers.
Well, they’re officially a thing now.
A state-of-the-art hotel in Japan has just opened rooms that have self-parking slippers, tables and floor cushions. It’s a fun way of demonstrating the potential, power and use of this new technology.
The ProPILOT Park Ryokan in Hakone combines Japanese traditional hospitality with Nissan’s autonomous driving technology to give guests some quirky amenities. It’s the first of its kind and it’s bound to attract and entertain visitors from around the world.
At first glance, it looks just like any other traditional Ryokan with slippers neatly in place and tatami rooms furnished with low tables and floor cushions for seating. But the rooms are actually equipped with the latest autonomous technology from the Japanese automobile manufacturer.
First introduced in the all-new Nissan LEAF in Japan in October 2017, ProPILOT Park detects surrounding objects and lets drivers automatically park the vehicle in a selected parking space by pressing a button.
So, why not apply this new technology at hotels?
The same technology is being used in the amenities at the ProPILOT Park Ryokan. It was shown recently through a demonstration with a goal of entertaining guests and reducing staff workload.
Nissan spokesman Nick Maxfield said: “The self-parking slippers are meant to raise awareness of automated driving technologies, and their potential, non-driving applications.”
