Forget Cars, the Self-Driving Stroller Is Coming

Mashable
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With self-driving cars dominating the tech conversation in recent months, it’s no surprise that someone would eventually attempt to bring automation to parents sick of pushing their young child in a stroller.

Smartbe, which is marketed as “the first intelligent stroller in the world,” uses a motion-tracking sensor to follow you wherever you go, allowing for hands-free strolling or an assisted push.

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Like all great ideas nowadays, the Smartbe is currently in its crowdfunding phase on IndieGogo. However, if all goes correctly, the stroller will easily be the most-decked out baby carrier ever created.

In addition to an electric motor that will assist in movement, the stroller will also feature wireless speakers so your baby can rock out, a bottle warmer, a rocker, three retractable canopies and a temperature-controlled bassinet. As for safety features, the Smartbe will have directional signals, internal and external cameras and an anti-theft alarm.

The controls for the stroller will be accessible using a control panel built into the stroller’s handle, or via your iOS or Android app.

The electric motor will have three modes: self-propelled, which will use measurement sensors in order to keep a constant distance, assist-propelled, which helps push the stroller for you like a lawnmower, and manual mode, which turns your stroller into an ordinary stroller.

The battery life is expected to last for 6 hours, and in addition to all of its nifty features previously stated, it will also charge your smartphone.

But all of these features will certainly come at a price. The crowdfunding campaign has a few levels of funding, but to actually own one of these strollers with all the bells and whistles, it’s going to cost you $3,199 plus shipping. And on top of that, they aren’t expecting to ship the strollers until April 2017.

In terms of safety, the strollers’ page claims that “all the technologies applied in Smartbe have already been used and extensively tested in other industries.” But the big question remains unanswered: are parents willing to trust the stroller with their kids?