The Toyota i-unit was unveiled at the World Expo 2005 in Japan. It’s a personal mobility device. If you thought the Smart fortwo was small, this i-unit can only transport one person.
The Toyota i-unit has two modes, a low-speed mode where the car is upright. It’s like you’re standing up. Turning radius for this mode is 0.9 meter, which means it can turn 360 degrees on the spot.
The other mode is the high-speed mode where your sitting position is more reclined, like a normal car driving position.
The Toyota i-unit is controlled by two joysticks and uses Drive-by-wire. It’s only 180kg and it’s powered by an electric motor running on a lithium ion battery.
This could work if there’s better protection against crashes and weather. Right now it just looks like an exoskeleton.
After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
Probably some people will appreciate something like this, but to me it looks like a very sophisticated, expensive, mobile, toilet seat. Maybe you can also brush your teeth and have a shower at the same time.
I think it will be good in shopping malls like One Utama, Ikea, Giant, Carrefour & maybe also disney land in Hong Kong….lolz…..where some people might get lazy walking…..
To add on…..I feel they should have made other models like Iunit-Baby for toddlers, Iunit-Teens for racing feeling, Iunit-Adults for a sofa chair feeling, Iunit-shopping for crazy shoppers & a bonnet for putting stuff, Iunit-executive with laptops and other tech gagets, Iunit-Oldies for grandpa and grandma & lastly Iunit-disabled for disabled people, got toilet bowl, microwave and golden spoon to feed them……hehe…..
For now better get segway scooter ler.
more like a electric wheechair for disable
cool!
wowieee!! respect the designer very much! i want 3 units!!!
if the chinse cars get 0 in NCAP crash test , this might get a negative score! designers are so easily influnced by japanese cartoons and animations..wats next?a helo kitty face hybrid?!!
one wld think twice abt hitting the scorpion car
It's worse than motorbike. It can only carries 1 person, and you'll still get wet when it rains. -_-'
oooh… looks so cool… would LOVE to have one of these, if they implement safety features of course…
I think this CHAIR is useless.
First, It is not compact storage problems, parking problems.
Second, I don't think this Chair can be used outdoor, the road condition, rain, dust,…….somemore alien looking monster.
Third, I don't think this chair is cheap. Who will buy this toys?
I guess this Chair only use for SHOWs, TV shows or Concerts not pratical at all. Don't you think so?
not applicable during rainy day…
hold it.. where's the mother ship..?
mcm belalang..hehe..kesatria baja hitam..
better sit on sofa….n watching tv…maybe the function is same like u sit and watching movies…so fun…
it looks like a hi tech wheel chair
it good for disable people.. may be they got a special loan to buy it
the designer could make little smaller ……
i will buy it
And if it rains, or snows?
Osim,Ogawa and other massage machine seller will be pissed off with this!!
Anyway, it's a brilliant design…cool!.
Not bad,,,
I admit it, it is cool,,,
I’d buy 1 if it has more safety and other feature like front door/window, aircon, airbag, and so on,,,
this thing is class il buy it 4 a £1,000,000.00