
Waiting outside may now be more fun than getting inside.
Waiting to get into a restaurant has to be one of the worst feelings in the world. You’re hungry, you were told the wait would be twenty minutes, it’s already been half an hour, you’re holding onto that blinky-vibraty-thing with a death grasp for any sign of life, and you’re pretty sure the family of five that was just seated got into line after you.
But no more. Nissan has managed to do the impossible and achieve something we never thought we’d live to see: making waiting in line fun.
How do they do it? With self-queuing, self-moving chairs.
Watch the ProPILOT Chairs in action here:
▼ “Is that a g-g-g-g-ghost?!”
“No ma’am, it’s just the future.”
▼ This looks like a scene out of a cyberpunk movie, not real life!
▼ The chair has applications outside of simply waiting for restaurants,
such as using it for seated tours.
▼ The ProPILOT Chair uses the same concept
as Nissan’s ProPILOT self-driving cars.
What a time to be alive. The amount of technology in these little chairs is incredible. The ProPILOT Chairs use mounted cameras and sensors to maintain a safe distance and travel along a set path by automatically detecting and following the chair ahead of it.
▼ Forget the restaurant!
We just want to play around in the waiting area.
Nissan has been asking for Japanese shops and restaurants to request their own ProPILOT Chairs by using the hashtag #NissanProPilotChair on Twitter. Other non-restaurant owners have chimed in with their opinions, which have been mostly positive, but there have been at least a few humorous concerns:
https://twitter.com/tortorj/status/781199446495211521What do you think of the ProPILOT Chair? Is it just a silly gimmick, or will we all be waiting in self-queuing chairs within the next few years? Personally I’d like to have one in my home, preferably a reclining one that could just slip me into bed after I’d fallen asleep at the desk. Let’s just hope they never make a self-moving toilet, or else humanity is done for.
Source: Nissan ProPILOT Chair Press Release, YouTube/日産自動車株式会社 (1, 2)
Images: Nissan ProPILOT Chair Press Release





Nissan rolls closer to self-driving cars, but is the world ready?
A self-driving car that delivers ramen is Nissan’s newest automotive innovation【Video】
Hayao Miyazaki says Happy New Year to Studio Ghibli fans with new art for Year of the Horse
We revisited Sweets Paradise after a decade to see if Japan’s dessert buffet still delivers
7-Eleven Japan’s ramen-cooking robot whipped us up a bowl of noodles【Taste test】
7 great places to see Mt. Fuji from without having to climb it
Welcome to Hell…Hell’s Dandan Noodles Tenryu in Kanagawa
Japanese teacher shares surprising reason why the kanji for crow has one less line than bird
How many favorite voice actors do Japanese high school kids have and who are they?
Fashion magazine Egg’s 2020 Japanese Buzzword Awards are here to bring out your inner teen
Is this the most relaxing Starbucks in Japan?
Are all Starbucks coffee sizes the same? Testing the viral video claim in Japan
Starbucks Japan ready to get Year of the Horse started with adorable drinkware and plushies【Pics】
Cyberpunk anime meets traditional culture in Ghost in the Shell gold leaf Japanese changing screens
Hello Kitty Choco Egg figures are an adorable trip through three periods of Japanese pop culture【Pics】
We found possibly the quietest Japanese-style hotel in Tokyo’s bustling Shinjuku district
Japan’s otoshidama tradition of giving kids money at New Year’s gets a social welfare upgrade
Sumo Sanrio! Hello Kitty and pals team up with Japan Sumo Association for new merch【Pics】
More Than a Capsule Stay: Why Solo Travelers Choose “global cabin Yokohama Chinatown”
Japan’s oldest largetooth sawfish in captivity back on display in Mie Prefecture
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branches
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo
Starbucks teams up with 166-year-old Kyoto doll maker for Year of the Horse decorations【Photos】
Tokyo considering law requiring more trash cans following litter increase in heavily touristed area
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
Tokyo event lets you travel back in time, for free, to celebrate 100 years since Showa era start
Sanrio theme park in Japan announces plans to expand into a Sanrio resort
Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
Stamina-destroying “Paralysis Noodles” are Tokyo’s newest over-the-top ramen innovation
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Updated cherry blossom forecast shows extra-long sakura season for Japan this year
Leave a Reply