Skip to main content

"Smart INSECT": Toyota's cloud-enabled, single-passenger electric vehicle

By
Automakers have been toying with the idea of single passenger vehicles in an attempt to reduce emissions in urban centers, and Toyota's Coms is one such example. The company is showing off a new concept version based on this ultra-compact, single passenger electric vehicle dubbed the "Smart INSECT" at CEATEC JAPAN 2012 this week. Short for "information network social electric city transporter," it would connect the home, vehicle, and people in new ways through Toyota's cloud services.The Smart INSECT's cabin features flashy gull-wing doors, and incorporates new features like face and voice recognition. Motion sensors and cameras recognize pre-registered drivers as they approach, and will greet him or her with blinking lights, sounds, and messages from the instrument panel. It also anticipates the driver's intentions by tracking body movements, such as opening doors automatically when the driver reaches for them.
The interior features a large display above the steering wheel, which provides a detailed GPS navigation system. This is connected to the cloud-based Toyota Smart Center, which hosts a virtual agent that can provide navigation instructions via voice command.
As user data accumulates in the cloud, the system learns the driver's preferences and common destinations, such as "home" or "office." It could also make suggestions – from restaurants to playlists – based on personal tastes, and allow owners to lock up their house or activate the home's air conditioner on the way there.The Smart Insect is just a concept for now, but the regular Coms gives us an idea of its capabilities. Priced at approximately US$10,000, it can achieve a top speed of 37.5 mph (60 km/h) and has a range of about 31 miles (50 km). Toyota says it's sold around a thousand of them so far, but it seems we'll have to wait until a breakthrough in battery technology before vehicles like this become practical outside of Japan's dense urban centers.
Source: Toyota via Monoist (Japanese)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DoubleBack adds a sliding pod to VW's Transporter van

By
It was over thirty years ago that Volkswagen first started offering "pop tops" on its camper vans. In the years since, the soft-sided interior height-extenders have become a common sight on VW vans parked in campgrounds all over the world. Now, Welsh company Overlander Motorhomes is offering what it sees as the logical compliment to the pop top - it's the DoubleBack, a sliding insulated pod that extends the interior length of Volkwagen's T5 Transporter van.    The company starts with a stock 2.0TDI 140PS Long Wheelbase T5 van, then adds its patented DoubleBack pod package. When on the road, the pod stays tucked up inside the back of the vehicle. Once the driver stops and decides they'd like to settle down someplace, however, it electrically extends out of the rear in under 45 seconds, adding approximately two meters (6.5 feet) of useable interior space. Two legs also fold out from the bottom of the pod, which allow it to support up 600 kilograms (1,323 l...
Post a Comment
Read more

AQUA TEK S – the first waterproof, ruggedized, solar-powered battery case for iPhone

By
If you're hoping to attract investors to get yet another iPhone case to an already crowded market, it had better do more than just protect a phone from bumps and scrapes. Snow Lizard Products is giving itself the best possible chance of raising funds for its new AQUA TEK S case for  iPhone 4  and  4S  with an offering that not only boasts ruggedized protection, but also includes a solar panel, built in battery, and is waterproof up to 20 ft (6 m). Aimed at outdoorsy types who want to stay connected when heading off the beaten track, the case features a waterproof and dirt resistant poly-carbonate ruggedized casing that packs its own built-in battery to extend the life of the the iPhone. The company is still investigating the best battery to fit the form factor so the capacity of the unit hasn't yet been finalized, but it will be able to recharge from the power of the Sun via the solar panel built into the rear of the case. The encased iPhone can also be recharg...
Post a Comment
Read more

8 Little-Known Facts About Steve Jobs!

By
FBI has just released some interesting revelations about Steve Jobs.     Saturday, February 11, 2012 :   Forensic Bureau Of Investigation (FBI) has released a 191-page 'bundle of papers' which the agency compiled on late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs way back in 1991. This lengthy document comprises more than 30 interviews of friends, neighbours, family, former business associates and Jobs himself. The interviews were part of a background check for an appointment to the ex-president George HW Bush's Export Council. Let's have a look at the eight interesting revelations from the FBI's documents... Distorted truth  There were many individuals who questioned Steve Jobs' honesty. They stated that Jobs used to twist the truth and play around with reality in order to achieve his goals. One of the persons told FBI agents that the Apple co-founder's enormous power caused him to lose sight of honesty and integrity thus leading him to distort the truth.  App...
Post a Comment
Read more