New High-Tech Crib Makes Babies Feel Like They’re Riding In A Car

Infants should sleep as much as 17 hours per 24-hour period, according to experts at KidsHealth. However, every parent of a newborn knows how difficult it can be to get a little one to doze off and stay asleep for an extended period.

One trick that many moms and dads learn early on is that most babies will drift off to sleep during car rides, leading to frequent late-night drives around town. But, thanks to a new invention from Ford Motor Company, exhausted new parents may soon be able to leave the car in the garage and still give their fussy little ones the soothing experience of a leisurely drive.

The contraption, known as the Max Motor Dreams, resembles a traditional bassinet, but is actually a high-tech baby bed that simulates car rides. Using a smartphone app, parents can engage the crib’s numerous features, including subdued engine sounds, gentle movement imitating the sensation of a car ride and soft lights that turn on and off, replicating the lights and shadows experienced while driving under streetlamps or past other vehicles.

But wait—it gets even better!

The cradle doesn’t just simulate any old car ride. Parents can use the app to record the sounds, lights and motions from their babies’ favorite driving routes and then replay it when they put baby to sleep in the crib.

But don’t run out to the baby store or Ford dealership in hopes of buying this cool new baby gear quite yet. The Max Motor Dreams cot is currently a one-off pilot designed for a Ford of Spain campaign by designer Alejandro López Bravo of Espada y Santa Cruz. But the good news is that because of overwhelming  interest, the automobile manufacturer is considering putting the smart crib into full-scale production soon.

The company has not yet stated a prospective price for the bed, but tired parents across the globe are already shouting, “Take my money!”

[h/t: The Verge]