With Self Driving Chairs, Standing in Queue Will Be a Thing of the Past

When was the last time you stood in a queue? Probably for a bus or a train ticket? Or to dine at your favourite restaurant? Yes, one can remember standing in queue numerous times. How would it be if you were to sit on a chair instead of standing, and the chairs moved automatically as the queue progresses?

Yes, this is possible - Nissan in Japan has an answer.

Nissan has developed an autonomous technology to manufacture self-driving chairs which will lift the weight off the waiting passengers and let them sit them on a chair, and the chair will automatically move as the queue progresses.

This pro pilot chair can detect if any spot in front of the row is vacated, and if it is, it moves the second person in the line to first and queues the first chair to the last.

There is no action required by the driver at all, and the entire thing is fully automated.

The chair, Nissan said, "appeals to anyone who has queued for hours outside a crowded restaurant. It eliminates the tedium and physical strain of standing in line".

Tokyo has numerous restaurants, and it is not uncommon to see a long, impatient queue in front of a popular restaurant. With this technology at hand, it would be possible to rest while waiting.

These chairs could also be used in the waiting halls of art galleries as well as on walking tours. The adaptations of these technologies are huge. Since sitting has always been a comfortable posture, its implication could reduce stress and enhance the efficiency of a workplace.

Daniel Hurst, a Tokyo resident who tried out one of the chairs at Nissan's headquarters in Yokohama, wrote on his blog: "They come with footrests to prevent any unwanted friction - although they are missing headrests that would enhance power-napping ability."

Here's a video to demonstrate this technology.