Home » GM’s Cruise Patents A Way To Turn Autonomous Vehicles Into Mobile Changing Rooms (Or… Other Things)

GM’s Cruise Patents A Way To Turn Autonomous Vehicles Into Mobile Changing Rooms (Or… Other Things)

Cruise Changing Room Topshot
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If you’ve ever wished that a Ross Dress For Less could move at 70 mph, your prayers might soon be answered. I’ve found, through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, that General Motors’ Cruise autonomous vehicle division has successfully patented a way to turn its robotaxis into fitting rooms, so you can try on clothes while being shuttled around.

On the face of things, Cruise seems intent on turning its autonomous vehicles into giant mobile vending machines controlled through an app, presenting you with a variety of clothes and then automatically charging your ride-hailing account if any are taken after you exit the vehicle. Think of it a bit like Amazon’s grocery store with no front-facing staff, except for novelty T-shirts and those propeller hats that people in cartoons wear. Cruise pitches these mobile fitting rooms as an alternative to online shopping, where you can actually try on clothing to check fit and aren’t burdened with cumbersome return policies. Yep, Cruise has invented the store. Good job, Cruise.

Vidframe Min Top
Vidframe Min Bottom

Cruise Autonomous Vehicle Changing Room 1

However, brick-and-mortar stores typically don’t move, so GM’s needed to get clever in providing privacy to riders searching for clothes. Expect side glass made of the variable-tint electrochromic glass seen in the sunroofs of high-end cars, along with automatic disabling of rider monitoring cameras to maintain privacy. In addition, it seems like that in most cases, Cruise vehicles won’t just so happen to have a wide array of clothes on deck. Users will be able to order clothes to try on through an app, then a Cruise AV will collect those clothes from a local retailer and deliver them to you. Still, trying on the clothes happens in the vehicle.

What’s more, this mobile fitting room idea goes way, way further than just a set of variable-tint windows. As the patent states, “According to some implementations, providing an environment for trying the order further comprises providing at least one of a mirror, an outlet, a table, a desk, and a bed.” You already know what the hell’s going on.

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Cruise Autonomous Vehicle Changing Room 2

There’s no way around it, people will absolutely get sexual inside these autonomous vehicle fitting rooms. In the words of Jason, “I would never buy an AV I couldn’t wank in EVER.” More importantly, these Cruise AVs could act as a third space of sorts. As reported by USA Today, 47 percent of young adults still lived with their parents before COVID-19 lockdowns were even considered in America. Hooking up at home is risky and with the cost of car ownership being so high, it’s often hard for young people to get some privacy.

With ultra-dark tints and a potential bed, this concept redefines road head and brings up some particularly sticky questions. How often will these autonomous vehicles be cleaned? What do you do if the autonomous ride-hailing vehicle you step into is stained with semen or lightly squirted in? What happens to a user’s account if a Cruise employee finds pornography filmed in a ride-hailing vehicle? Will any Cruise employees admit to seeing pornography filmed in a corporate vehicle?

20210407 Baxtowner Cruise Cama Chinatown 707356 Crop

More importantly, how does even the simple act of changing comply with laws against nudity in vehicles? Presumably, nobody would be able to see in, but it’s a very grey area. Imagine being put on a registry because you saw a nice-looking top on an in-vehicle menu, the windows went dark, and police thought this would be a perfect opportunity to throw on the blues-and-twos.

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Then there’s the space-efficiency aspect of all this bringing stores to you business. A single delivery van takes up about one van-length on the road depending on how the driver feels about their bumpers and can bring clothes to dozens of people. A single autonomous vehicle still takes up considerable space on the road but through this scheme, may only bring clothes to a single person. Imagine the commuting hell that could result from this program when a fresh pair of leggings goes viral.

20210407 Baxtowner Cruise Cama Downtown 706512

While there are still many questions around Cruise’s implementation of mobile changing rooms, one thing’s for certain: The age of autonomy will offer the human race entirely new ways to bone. It could even blur the lines between FakeTaxi and a real taxi. Whether or not it will actually be more convenient than Amazon still needs to be seen, but it’s certainly a no-brainer way of monetizing autonomous vehicles.

[Editor’s Note: It’s worth noting that people have been boning in cars from the get-go. Honda even made a car with this sort of thing as the whole point! – JT]

(Photo credits: Cruise, USPTO)

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Knowonelse
Knowonelse
1 year ago

At one job we had a pickup soccer game three days a week. Lake Natomas was nearby, so after the game I went over there to go swimming. I was commutting 100 miles a day in our ’80 VW Vanagon camper. It was luxurious to get to the lake, change clothes, go swimming, change back to work clothes, and drive back to work after “lunch”. It was really great.

Freelivin2713
Freelivin2713
1 year ago

Wow, thought this was April Fool’s joke too…just reading this is absurd & surreal- is this really where we are at? Don’t need any of this…also “alternative to shopping online for clothes”- the only way to try on clothes (That even need trying on- like pants) is IN-PERSON! Of course it’s different when you already know your shirt size & need an Autopian shirt! (Want one so bad, & a sticker for car)

Beached Wail
Beached Wail
1 year ago

Bumper sticker: “If this Cruise’s rockin’, don’t bother shoppin'”

Steve P
Steve P
1 year ago

It’s more likely you will have a digital “body” of your exact measurements that you can use to virtually try out clothes from any vendor and have them delivered before *this* ever becomes a thing.

Mr Sarcastic
Mr Sarcastic
1 year ago
Reply to  Steve P

Yes just join up with TSA they have your exact measurements on file if you ever flew. Maybe instead of cars shop at the airport. Walk into xray and be shown a fashionable outlet that will be delivered to your destination.

Nsane In The MembraNe
Nsane In The MembraNe
1 year ago

I was looking forward to making a snide “I know how things go in the Fake Taxi” comment and lo and behold there’s already one in the article. It’s good to know that I’m amongst my people.

Just Jeepin’
Just Jeepin’
1 year ago

Good timing so soon after Tesla was revealed to be utterly careless, callous, arguably criminal with video recorded by the cameras on their cars.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/04/tesla-workers-shared-images-from-car-cameras-including-scenes-of-intimacy/

Stef Schrader
Stef Schrader
1 year ago
Reply to  Just Jeepin’

I was about to say…aren’t these things heavily monitored because of the whole driverless part?

Like, if you’re boinking in a Cruise shuttle, just own up to it, you’re a frickin’ exhibitionist. NTTAWWT, but like, make sure whoever’s watching actually wants to participate in your kink??? There’s no way some low-level employee at Cruise, Tesla, or the like, can give you consent in that situation, so…stick to humping in something vintage or trolling sad wine bars in Steiner Ranch for bored couples who really, really wanna watch.

Last edited 1 year ago by Stef Schrader
Live2ski
Live2ski
1 year ago

along with automatic disabling of rider monitoring cameras to maintain privacy

I don’t believe that for a second.

Drew
Drew
1 year ago

I’m only willing to ride in vehicles with drivers. People are probably still going to screw, but at least it should be awkward for them when they do so.

TheCrank
TheCrank
1 year ago

Sigh. I tried to help you with some tips about how to write about patents the last time, but I guess you didn’t read the comments. This isn’t a patent, this is a patent application publication. GM hasn’t “successfully patented” anything yet.

Last edited 1 year ago by TheCrank
Drew
Drew
1 year ago
Reply to  TheCrank

I mean, they’ve probably successfully patented at least one or two things. They’ve been around for a while.

Palmetto Ranger
Palmetto Ranger
1 year ago

“I would never buy an AV I couldn’t wank in EVER.”

The corollary to this is that you should never get into somebody else’s wankmobile. No thanks, Cruise.

CRX89
CRX89
1 year ago

Thanks for the F shack. Love, dirty mike and the boys.

A. Barth
A. Barth
1 year ago

A single delivery van takes up about one van-length

The math checks out.

Cheats McCheats
Cheats McCheats
1 year ago

April fools was 6 days ago.

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