Nissan ProPilot Chair: The self-driving seat for queuers

Tired legs resulting from hours spent standing in a queue could become a thing of the past if Nissan’s ProPilot Chair becomes a tech of the future.

The Japanese brand’s autonomous chair system is designed to take the burden out of long waiting lines and will be trialled at selected Japanese restaurants in 2017.

Nissan’s quirky concept automatically rotates a series of chairs, allowing queuers to remain seated until it’s their turn to be served.

Each of the chairs features a square based fitted with wheels and sensors. The rotation is triggered when a weight sensor in the seat detects the person getting up. As the person walks away, the self-driving seat moves out of the line, tracks down the line, and then into the last position of the row.

All other seats then move up a space, using sensors to remain equidistant.

It follows the company’s Intelligent Parking Chair, which could move automatically into position at board tables.

Just as that system was designed equally to showcase Nissan’s semi-automatic parking system for cars, the ProPilot Chair also aims to emphasise the brand’s semi-autonomous driving technology.

ProPilot can steer, accelerate and brake a vehicle without driver involvement, and debuted on the Japan-only Serena minivan in August.

Similar technology has long been available from various European and US brands, though Nissan says the system is a first for a Japanese brand.

Don’t bother queuing yet for the technology at your local Nissan dealership, however. Nissan Australia says there is no confirmation on when, or if, any Nissan models will be sold here featuring ProPilot.