Volvo has shared its vision for the future with the rest of the world, and it involves us possibly taking a nap while our cars drive themselves.
Various areas of technology have advanced so much in recent years that it's hard to imagine where we could possibly be going next. We use a smartphone or a console and just think to ourselves that there is no way this could be improved upon. Maybe upgraded here and there, but not replaced entirely.
Transport falls into that category too. We currently live in a world where even the farthest distance takes less than a day to travel. If we have the means to pay for it then we can quite literally travel to any corner of the world if we so wish. So how can traveling be improved upon? Well, Volvo recently showed us exactly how.
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It's called the Volvo 360c, and it's essentially a self-driving car turned all the way up to 11. As reported by Digitial Trends, it may look like nothing more than a futuristic car on the outside, but that's where the similarities begin and end. Inside, there is no steering wheel, no pedals, not even a dashboard. Just an interior that can be altered to suit the passenger, and may even include a bed so that you can sleep the trip away as Volvo takes care of the rest.
Volvo's senior vice president, Mårten Levenstam believes that the 360c "could enable us to compete with the world’s leading aircraft makers." Passengers could choose to travel privately and in comfort via the self-driving pod rather than taking a flight, especially when it comes to shorter domestic trips. It even includes a special safety blanket, for those choosing to sleep in the vehicle, that works in the same way as a seatbelt does.
The report above and the comments from Volvo's SVP make it sound as if the future has arrived and that the 360c will soon be on the market. Sadly, that is not the case. Mr. Levenstam has simply described the designs and idea for the innovative new vehicle as a conversation starter. That knowing what the future of travel may look like will enable us to start tweaking how we design our cities and infrastructure. Self-driving cars like the 360c are not here yet, but they might get here sooner than we think.
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