Who said the news is always depressing? Here’s a story of a neat little electric minicar designed by Honda to makes children’s hospital a little happier.
About two years ago, the Japanese firm built an electric minicar called Shogo to help relieve the stress and anxiety of children in hospitals, in this case Orange County Children's Hospital in California.
The plan has always been to build more. On Tuesday, Honda reaffirmed its commitment to the project by announcing its intention to manufacture and deliver a further 60 units to children's hospitals across the U.S.
Shogo is a name derived from a Japanese expression meaning “to fly into the future”. Apropos for families dealing with a hospital stay.
Two of the 60 new minicars have already been built and were recently delivered to Akron Children's Hospital in Ohio and Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The small car was developed in-house by Honda engineers and built by Honda's HPD (Honda Performance Development) motorized division in the USA.
Therapy and fun
The vehicles are used to transport young patients to and from procedures and appointments within the hospital. Honda said the Shogo is designed for patients aged four to nine. It’s equipped with a steering wheel that contains a thumbwheel for on and off. Maximum speed is around 8 km/h.
Other features designed to make hospital stays more fun include a small front trunk for depositing toys that the child wishes to carry with him or her, a horn offering different sounds and a slot for a customizable license plate that can display each user's name.
Really nice. And what a great idea!
