Self-driving hearse could project holograms of the dead
A concept robotic hearse tricked out with a transparent coffin and multimedia system could drive funerals of the future.
- Third place film critic, 2021 LA Press Club National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards
We may or may not see driverless cars on the road in this life, but if the crazy concept Aeternal becomes a real thing, we could be riding in them after our death.
The futuristic, high-tech hearse from Imaginactive, a Montreal-based nonprofit purveyor of creative ideas, would be auto-piloted or driven by remote control and could maneuver in tight spots at funeral homes and cemeteries, thanks to wheels that move independently from one another.
Should mourners choose to go the multimedia route, a projector could display moving images, such as holograms of the dead, while music played on a surround sound system accompanies the visuals.
"The Aeternal is made to offer all the simple pleasures someone used to enjoy," reads a description of the product. "Not only will the body be displayed so that family and friends can see their loved one for the last time, but a part of the soul of that person as well, since the Aeternal can play their favorite music or display videos they took earlier in their life."
Families needn't worry about the inside of the transparent coffin overheating in the sun. The vehicle comes equipped with an air-conditioning system.
The Aeternal advances a similar concept self-driving hearse from 2015, the Korbiyor. Abhishek Roy, founder of Indian design lab Lunatic Koncepts, mocked up the images for both products.
While they may indeed seem lunatic at first glance, they're less so considering existing products that lean on technology to make late loved ones feel more immediate.
Mourners, for example, can already visit tombstones with video screens that let the dead communicate in an endless loop. And the Memorial RosettaStone Tablet makes it possible for cemetery visitors to stream photos and even messages from the deceased to any internet-enabled mobile device by touching it to a headstone.
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