A slew of new automotive inventions, a safe driving video contest, a pink vehicle auction for breast cancer research, and autonomous chairs to make waiting in line easier were among the items promoted by automakers recently.

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[naviga:li]Ford expects that its employees will set a new record for inventions this year. The invention disclosures submitted by employees hit a record of more than 6,000 in 2015, and in the first eight months of 2016 more than 4,500 employees had submitted invention disclosures. Some of the proposed ideas include a faucet that supplies water to passengers from air conditioner condensation, software to give ridesharing passengers control of the vehicle's climate and music, and an electric pedestrian assistance device dubbed Carr-E.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Toyota is accepting entries for its annual TeenDrive365 Video Challenge, in which teenagers create videos to encourage young people to drive safely. The winning team receives a $15,000 scholarship and the chance to work with a Discovery film crew to turn their entry into a professional public service announcement. Several other scholarships are also available as runner-up prizes. Teens can register and submit entries through Feb. 23 by visiting TeenDrive365inschool.com.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Volkswagen recently auctioned off the first limited edition 2017 Beetle to raise funds for breast cancer research and treatment. The pink vehicle sold for $30,272, with proceeds benefiting FAB-U-WISH and The Pink Agenda. The winning bid was submitted by Lisa Koehnen, a California resident and 12-year breast cancer survivor.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Nissan has applied its intelligent mobility technology to chairs to make wait times more leisurely. The motorized ProPilot Chair, based on the automaker's ProPILOT systems that keep a vehicle in its lane and a safe distance away from others on the road, follows the chair ahead of it along a fixed path. Nissan designed the chair as an alternative to standing in line, since people can stay seated as the chairs advance with the queue. The automaker is inviting restaurants in Japan to apply to test out the ProPilot Chair.[/naviga:li]

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