This company wants to solve the dirty problem with self-driving cars

By John Elkin September 14, 2019

The Yanfeng Wellness Pod Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ridesharing is a good way to reduce greenhouse emissions while also saving people money. Before the lexicon was changed, it was called carpooling and it started in World War II as a way to deal with fuel rationing. In the mid-1970s, it became popular again because of the energy crisis.

Today, it is a reasonable response to concerns about global warming. There is only one large drawback to ridesharing — other people. Or more specifically, other people’s germs.

Thanks to advances in microbial science, regular people know of even more ways things we cannot see can kill us. E. coli, Ebola, bird flu, mad cow; etcetera. It’s all out there waiting for our carelessness.

Yanfeng Automotive Interiors has taken it upon itself to bring people together safely and nearly germ-free. Ladies and gentlemen, we now have in our midst the “Wellness Pod.” According to a press release, “Yanfeng’s Wellness Pod console features a touchpad interface with user-friendly smartphone app control. The slim console with its concealed air vents can be seamlessly integrated into the cabin interior.”

The Wellness Pod utilizes a UV air sanitizer to kill 99.9% of germs. Using the recirculating setting from the vehicle’s HVAC system it cleans the air. The UV Surface Sanitizer cleanses the exposed surfaces while the Smart Multi-Scent dispenser is the first connected platform for a scent based on Inhalió technology. Wellness Pod offers four different scent cartridges, with fragrances that can be individually selected.

The scent dispenser can also use aromatherapy technology to mitigate motion sickness. “Our Intelligent Scent 3.0 technology does not use any spray or oil-based fragrances, as is common in cars to date. Non-liquid, scent impregnated polymers release their fragrance through a dry-air distribution system and natural airflow within the vehicle’s interior, completely free of alcohol, VOCs, or allergens”, Inhalió CEO Keith Kelsen said in a statement. “Artificial intelligence-based firmware collects data on preference, frequency of use and when the fragrance cartridges need to be changed.”

With technology like this, maybe even the biggest germophobes among us could start ridesharing.

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