Tokyo – Coen Car is a concept from Nendo introducing children to autonomous vehicles, while also functioning as pieces of mobile and interactive playground equipment.
Designed for Tokyo-based technology company DeNA, the concept features six different mobile vehicle designs that take inspiration from the movements commonly found in playgrounds, such as climbing, spinning and sliding. The Coen Cars are intended to autonomously travel around parks or kindergarten areas, acting as both objects for play and transportation.
The concept cars have an accompanying app that allows parents to keep track of when and where the vehicles are moving and what time they will arrive at nearby parks. According to Nendo: ‘With cutting-edge technology, the project aims to create a new relationship between people and cars that is more than a just means for transportation.’
With many parents seeking to balance the use of technology with hands-on play, innovations like the Coen Car are merging digital and analogue activity in outdoor spaces. For more, explore our latest microtrend Edu-play-tion.