Honda unveiled the unusual Puyo today, an in-development concept car with no sharp edges and a coating of soft silicone to absorb collisions, Reuters reports. Visitors to the Tokyo Motor Show were given a look at the car, which runs on hydrogen fuel cells, is driven with a joystick, and glows different colors when it is running or standing still.
Puyo's soft silicone surface, similar to mousepads and protective iPod sheaths, is designed to minimize damage to a person hit by the car and, being a soft gel, cannot be dented as other cars are by minor collisions. Honda did not say how strong a collision was required to permanently damage the car. Puyos are a decade or more away from production, with 2020 as a target. (More Honda stories.)