'Shogo' Gives Pediatric Patients a New Way to Get Around

Honda and Children's Health of Orange County have partnered to create a customized electric vehicle that can transport the hospital's young patients around in style.

Children’s Health of Orange County (CHOC) is giving its young patients a new means of traveling around the hospital.

The Los Angeles-based hospital has introduced Shogo, a custom-made electronic vehicle developed by Honda that’s specifically designed to transport patients throughout the hospital. The vehicle, based on the Japanese word for “soaring into the future,” features a steering wheel with a stop/go button, can travel up to 5 mph, and is remotely controlled by a nurse or caregiver. It includes an IV holder, toy bucket, cup holders, a horn with different sound options and a license plate that can be customized to feature the rider’s name.

Honda engineers worked with hospital staff to design the vehicle, part of the company’s “Project Courage” initiative.

"As someone who spent time in the hospital as a young child, I really wanted the number one objective of our Honda team in developing Shogo to ease the hardship of a hospital stay by providing kids a lasting positive memory about that experience," Randall Smock, a senior designed with American Honda who played a significant role in designing Shogo, said in a press release. "Every element of Shogo was designed to accommodate different needs of young children, making it as easy as possible to get in and out, simple to drive, and for the entire experience to leave them a bit happier."

Honda and CHOC have partnered in the past on innovative tools for pediatric patients. They include a “Candy Cane Lane” VR program, accessed through Oculus headsets, in 2016, a VR-based virtual snow globe and AR-based “Ultimate Get Well Card” in 2017, and a VR-based “Magic Snow Globe” in 2018.

To make sure Shogo could navigate the hospital, Honda worked with the hospital to replicate a hospital hallway at the company’s research & development facility and tested the vehicle with children and parents.

"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," Brianne Ortiz, manager of the Cherese Mari Laulhere Child Life Department at CHOC, said in the press 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."