If Toronto designer Steve Lee has his way, you'll sleep through the self-driving car revolution, waking up refreshed at your destination in what amounts to a room-on-wheels with (almost) all the amenities of a hotel.
His design, shown above, won a Radical Innovation Award this year. In his concept, the car would be ordered by app, driven by software, and contain a sleeping area with memory-foam mattress, a work/entertaining area, a small kitchen, and a washroom with toilet and sitdown shower. Up to five people could fit.
Lee thinks his idea, which he calls an 'Autonomous Travel Suite' could be on the road by 2030. He argues that it would be better than dealing with airports, train stations and driving yourself, and since no hotel room is needed, it would save costs. He also believes that some hotel chains might develop units that would welcome his guests overnight for an occasional real show, pool, etc.
Is it all blue-sky? Maybe not. Clayton Reid of MMGY Global, a travel marketing company, pointed out to U.S.A Today that it's not all that far out: “I don’t know that the concept of a large vehicle that moves people in comfort is anything new. Airstreams and RV’s are mobile hotel rooms.” And as for the no-driver part? Reid says that “Autonomous automobiles are coming in every way, shape and form."
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