Babies are safest in an infant car seat installed to face the back of the car. But, as every parent knows, that’s not great for communication. It leaves you unable to see your baby without a precisely-angled set of mirrors, and your baby is unable to see you.
Soothing a crying baby while driving is a harder challenge than anything Lewis Hamilton has faced behind the wheel.
Nissan has a solution. It’s Gossamer, the giant red monster that menaces Bugs Bunny. He’ll take care of your baby while you drive.
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OK, not exactly. But Iruyo is close.
Iruyo, Japanese for “I’m here,” is a furry red robot meant for the car. It’s cute. Trust us.
Nissan developed Iruyo with the Japanese baby goods company Akachan Honpo. Iruyo attaches to the car’s seat in the baby’s line of sight. A second, smaller doll (called Baby Iruyo) attaches to the dashboard facing you, low and out of the driver’s line of sight.
Both are equipped with sensors, microphones, and servos that let them move — what Japan Today calls “an array of sensors and communication devices as well as state-of-the-art adorability.”
The pair functions like an intercom, but Iruyo also gestures and moves as you talk to keep your baby entertained. Say, “Iruyo,” and it raises its furry red arms. Play music or sing, and it dances and claps. Say “peekaboo,” and it hides behind its hands — object permanence training via a furry red cuddle machine.
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Baby Iruyo, meanwhile, broadcasts your baby’s sounds to you and closes its eyes to let you know when the baby is asleep.
It all sounds goofy and cute, but Nissan is being quite scientific about its cartoon monsters. “Studies found that not only were 90% of babies preoccupied by Iruyo while in a car seat, but over half showed a general improvement in mood while spending time with the robot,” Japan Today explains.
You can’t buy it yet. For now, Nissan is holding “experience sessions” at its Yokohama headquarters and some Akachan Honpo stores to gauge interest in the little guy.
We just hope it’ll be on sale in time for our annual rundown of the best new car technology. You keep your self-driving system. We’re here for the talking stuffed animals.
