This Tiny Electric Ride-On Car Brings Happiness to Kids
Highlighting the amazing role of play and laughter in healing.
Watch out! Here comes Shogo! This amazing ride-on child-sized electric vehicle is bringing comfort and happiness to ease the stress and anxiety of young hospital patients and their parents.
Developed by Honda engineers, the vehicle is called Shogo – which is based on the Japanese word that means soaring into the future – and is part of Honda’s “Project Courage,” according to a news release from the automaker. Shogo was designed to be able to navigate hospital hallways to transport young patients to appointments and surgeries at Children's Health of Orange County (CHOC).
“Creating Shogo to help support these patients during what can be a stressful time in the hospital has been a labor of love for our passionate team of Honda…to see the joy on the faces of these young patients when they get behind the wheel of Shogo is truly rewarding,” said Hundy Liu, manager of national automobile advertising, American Honda Motor Co. in the news release.
All about Shogo
Shogo was designed to be easy to operate and get in and out of, as well as able to accommodate children with different medical needs, reported Slash Gear. There is even a rack in the back that was designed to hold IVs and other medical equipment.
The tiny electric vehicle was designed for children ages four through nine and can hold more than one child. The speed is adjustable from one-to-five mph but don’t worry. The speed is not kid controlled, this is something that the caregiver or nurse controls.
Some of the coolest features include the license plate slot that can be customized for each little patient, a toy bucket in the front, a cup holder, and a horn that offers several sound options.
Working with CHOC
All this didn’t happen by chance, according to the press release. The Honda engineers worked with the staff of CHOC through all stages of the design. It even involved creating a replica hospital hallway and the researchers tested it with kids and their parents to ensure that the ride-on vehicle was safe to operate in the hospital.
Why CHOC? It’s very natural that CHOC is the first location Honda chose for the Shogo because the automotive company has a long-standing relationship with the hospital. In 2016, Honda created a virtual reality Candy Land for the patients, and the ultimate get well card program in 2017. The company topped it in 2018 with a virtual magic snow globe.
“Our team greatly appreciates Honda bringing innovative solutions that support our ongoing commitment to providing an exceptional patient experience and infusing joy into a patient's stay,” said Brianne Ortiz, manager of the child life department at CHOC, in the news release. “We were impressed from the beginning when we first saw Shogo, and by the Honda team's dedication in collaborating with our staff to ensure a vehicle that is perfect – and safe – for our young patients.”
Shogo is bringing calm and joy to the children and their parents. Making a hospital stay less stressful is having an impact on healing and recovery. After all, laughter really is the best medicine.
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