A car that does not hurt pedestrians if it hits them, changes colour depending on the driver's mood, and automatically avoids traffic jams - this is the kind of automobile dreamed up by Ryan Chin, a fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab.
Mr Chin's ideas, first outlined in a thesis project some years ago, are now getting serious backing.
The Media Lab has committed a team - including structural engineers, neurological experts, mechanical engineers and a rocket scientist - to develop the concept. General Motors has agreed to build a model based on the plans in 2006. The world-renowned architect Frank Gehry has promised to come up with a design.
The Media Lab's ideas are radical. The new car would have interchangeable parts that can be customised.
Drivers would be able to change those parts around according to their needs. During the week, for instance, a driver may want a larger vehicle for carpooling but a smaller car at weekends.
Tyres could be selected for different weather conditions and terrain and seats could easily be reconfigured according to numbers of passengers and amount of luggage space needed.
- Financial Times