Car brand Ford has created a smart crib that aims to soothe babies to sleep by gently rocking and lighting up, to simulate a car journey.
The Max Motor Dreams cot was developed for parents with newborns, who often use a night-time drive to soothe their baby till they drift off to sleep.
While it appears to be a normal crib, the Max Motor Dreams simulates the motion, engine noise and even the street lighting of a night‐time journey.
A speaker in the bed plays engine sounds, its base rocks gently to mimic movement and the sides are lined with softly blinking LED lights designed to look like street lamps.
Having spoken to new parents, Ford worked alongside designer Alejandro López Bravo – of Spanish creative studio Espada y Santa Cruz – to develop the design.
"After many years of talking to mums and dads, we know that parents of newborns are often desperate for just one good night's sleep," said Bravo.
"But while a quick drive in the family car can work wonders in getting baby off to sleep, the poor old parents still have to be awake and alert at the wheel."
While the Max Motor Dreams is currently a one-off pilot, Ford says it is considering putting the cot into full‐scale production.
Yves Behar also aimed to relieve parents of multiple midnight get-ups, with a bassinet that rocks their babies back to sleep with a "womb-like motion" whenever it hears them cry.
New technologies are rapidly being introduced into products for babies and children. This year, companies launched a thermometer that measures temperature with just a swipe across the forehead and a device that combines a baby monitor, sleep trainer and night light.