Honda Makes Self-Driving Robot

There are plenty of very sensible reasons to go to the Tokyo Motor Show (held from Oct. 27 to Nov. 5), but far more interesting are the oddball products from the weirder corners of Japanese engineers’ imaginations. One such example is this, the Honda RoboCas Concept. Effectively an oversized cooler on wheels, complete with anime-esque eyes and autonomous driving, it is what Honda says could be the robot assistant of tomorrow.

As Honda describes it, RoboCas is “a small-sized electric mobility product created to make people’s dreams and ideas come true.” That is assuming your dreams and ideas involve self-driving luggage on wheels, of course, Slash Gear reported.

Honda envisages the body as being customizable and modular, allowing for different types of carrying space. Above it, there is a height-adjustable canopy. They are all mounted on a compact body base, which presumably uses electric power.

Although at first glance it seems a little odd, the potential for RoboCas is actually fairly broad. In one potential use-case, Honda shows the robot acting as a portable cafe: with the canopy extended it becomes the roof of the coffee stop, and all of the cups, stock, and other essentials can be safely stowed away in the body of the ‘bot’. There is also the suggestion that RoboCas could act as a portable power supply.

“With our products equipped with electrification technologies, Honda will continue striving for the realization of our enduring passion to realize the joy of helping people and the joy of driving,” Takahiro Hachigo, President of Honda said at the Tokyo Motor Show. “Honda will continue taking on challenges to expand the life’s potential of our customers.”