The I-Foot, a prototype vehicle from Toyota that can carry someone and walk. Remember those camel-like robots at the part of the second Star Wars? Same concept. Toyota has no product plans, but has built these to show off its technical prowess and explore different technical areas.
The I-Wing, which is sort of like a robotic, driveable chair. So far, the market for personal, portable transportation devices like this has been miniscule. Still, some futurists have postulated that the design of future cities may lead to demand for vehicles like this.
The I-Unit sits upright like a chair, but the chassis spreads out when it rolls. It can go close to 22 miles an hour.
An exploded view of how a Prius hybrid works.
The Fine-X, another prototype from Toyota, runs on a hydrogen fuel cell. The wheels turn independently so you can pivot from one spot.
This trumpet-playing robot is a big hit with visitors at the Toyota technology showcase. It blasts compressed air into the trumpet and fingers the keys during its two-song set. The showcase is located in Toyota City. The auto giant has 10 plants in the city alone and a total of 12 in the Aichi prefecture, where Toyota City is located. The city is about 2.5 hours from Tokyo by bullet train.
This is the result of a 30 mph head-on crash. But note: The interior cabin of the car remains untouched.
Bill Detwiler is the Editor for Technical Content and Ecosystem at Celonis. He is the former Editor in Chief of TechRepublic and previous host of TechRepublic's Dynamic Developer podcast and Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show. Previously, Bill was an IT manager in the social research and energy industries. He has bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Louisville, where he has also lectured on computer crime and crime prevention.
