Nissan Motor showcases slippers that can park themselves
What's the story
Japanese automaker Nissan Motor has unveiled slippers that can 'park' themselves.
Once a user takes them off, he or she can make the self-driving slippers automatically return to a designated spot with the push of a button.
The car company has also unveiled floor cushions and tables that are programmed to self-park. Here is more on the rather unusual technology.
Details
The self-parking slippers feature wheels, sensors
The self-parking slippers feature two tiny wheels, a motor, and sensor cameras, all of which allow them to drive autonomously across wooden floors.
They make use of these sensors to locate a designated space and then park themselves in it.
The slippers, which come as a part of a bigger marketing campaign, are currently being displayed at Nissan's corporate headquarters in Yokohama.
Quote
Slippers to raise awareness on automated driving technologies
"The self-parking slippers are meant to raise awareness of automated driving technologies - and their potential, nondriving applications," Nissan spokesperson Nick Maxfield said.
Motive
Slippers use Nissan car's autonomous parking technology
With the slippers, Nissan has showcased how its autonomous parking technology can be applied to everyday objects, promoting its automobile tech in a smart manner.
The self-parking slippers work on the same technology as Nissan's ProPilot self-parking system which is integrated in the battery-powered electric car Nissan Leaf.
With ProPilot, drivers can make the car self-park at the push of a button.
Information
Nissan has also developed self-parking chairs in the past
This is not the first time Nissan is incorporating autonomous technology in daily objects. Earlier in 2016, the company had unveiled self-powered office chairs that could park themselves with a simple clap of the hands, saving employees the trouble of arranging them after a meeting.