Toyota has unveiled the new Concept-i at this week’s CES in Las Vegas, which has been designed from the inside out to foster a warm and friendly experience for the driver and passengers.
Toyota has unveiled the new Concept-i at this week’s CES in Las Vegas, which has been designed from the inside out to foster a warm and friendly experience for the driver and passengers. Designed with user experience technology, Toyota says that the Concept-i was created around the philosophy of “kinetic warmth,” a belief that mobility technology should be warm, welcoming, and fun.
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The Concept-i also uses an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system to anticipate people’s needs, inspire their imaginations and improve their lives. The system also helps enhance driving safety, combined with visual and haptic stimuli to augment communication based on driver responsiveness. The Concept-i monitors driver attention and road conditions, with the goal of increasing automated driving support.
“At Toyota, we recognize that the important question isn’t whether future vehicles will be equipped with automated or connected technologies,” said Bob Carter, senior vice president of automotive operations for Toyota. “It is the experience of the people who engage with those vehicles. Thanks to Concept-i and the power of artificial intelligence, we think the future is a vehicle that can engage with people in return.”
Toyota’s engineers designed the Concept-i from the inside out, starting with a next-generation user interface that serves as a platform for the vehicle’s AI Agent, nicknamed “Yui”. The Concept-i’s interior does away with the traditional digital screens that we’re used to and instead uses colored lights in the foot wells to indicate whether the vehicle is in automated or manual drive, projectors in the rear deck project views onto the seat pillar to help warn about blind spots, and a head up helps keep the driver’s eyes and attention on the road.
On the outside, Yui appears on exterior door panels to greet driver and passengers as they approach the vehicle. The rear of the Concept-i shows messages to communicate about upcoming turns and the front communicates whether the vehicle is in automated or manual drive.
Source: Toyota
