Toyota
couldn’t just show up to Geneva without busting out a few zero-emissions
intelligent mobility solutions. The Concept-i range is made up of a series of
individual vehicles, the smallest of which being the Concept-i Walk, a
Segway-like contraption aimed at pedestrians.
It uses a three-wheel layout,
while having the front wheel extending out at higher speeds. It even has
electronic safety systems that help it avoid obstacles, plus a range of
anywhere between 10-20 km.
If you prefer four wheels, feast your eyes on the
small Concept-i Ride, an urban vehicle that looks like a Smart ForTwo that just
got back from the future. This funny-looking thing relies on AI to maneuver
around autonomously, and according to Toyota, it can travel for anywhere
between 100 to 150 km on a single charge.
As for the biggest and most impressive vehicle here,
it’s the original Concept-i which Toyota first unveiled at CES in Las Vegas,
last January.
Designed at the automaker’s CALTY research center in
California, the Concept-i is meant to anticipate the needs of its passengers so
as to improve their daily commute. The car can be driven both autonomously as
well as manually, while the AI system, dubbed “Yui”, keeps a watchful eye over
the driver’s inputs and overall responsiveness.
Apparently, Yui can use light, sound and even touch
the passengers in order to communicate, using lights in the foot wells to
signal whether or not the car is in autonomous or manual mode. Other features
include the rear projector that warns about blind spot intrusions and the
advanced head-up display.
