For a long time now, concept cars have portrayed a future of aggressive minimalism, with sharp lines, stark forms and an over-reliance on large displays. The Toyota Concept-i, introduced at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, looks to change it up by aiming to be friendly and fun.
The car was built around the idea of “kinetic warmth,” a belief that mobility technology “should be warm, welcoming, and above all, fun.” The result is a more organic design, with flowing shapes, rounded surfaces and bronze highlights inside and out. Large scissor doors and a lack of B-pillars provide uninterrupted access to the interior.
You won’t find a big central screen in the Concept-i, like you do on most cars – instead, the car communicates to the driver via an artificial intelligence (AI) system called Yui, which uses multiple technologies to measure emotion – mapped against where and when the driver travels around the world – to improve the quality of life.
Yui uses light, sound and even touch to communicate critical information. There’s a next-generation head-up display that helps keep the driver’s eyes and attention on the road, while projectors at the rear project views to the seat pillars, warning the driver of blind spots. Also fitted are coloured lights in the footwells, indicating if the car is in autonomous or manual driving mode.
Outside, the Concept-i greets the driver and passengers as they approach through displays in the door panels, while another display at the rear communicates about upcoming turns and warns about a potential hazard. There’s also a display at the front of the car to show that the car is in autonomous driving mode. And the headlights blink!
Yui does more than just read emotions and display messages – it also uses advanced automated vehicle technologies to enhance safety, while also using visual and haptic stimuli to augment communication based on driver responsiveness. Although users will have the choice between automated and manual driving under certain conditions, the car will also monitor driver attention and road conditions to increase automated driving support as necessary. This helps support driver engagement and navigate dangerous driving conditions.
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Toyota Concept-i looks like your Futuristic mouse without the tail that U use to click when U submit your comment.