Toyota has announced plans to build a prototype of the 'City of the Future. With this so-called 'Woven City' in Japan, the carmaker wants to demonstrate what solutions a modern, fully connected and energy-efficient ecosystem can offer cities.
The city will be powered entirely by hydrogen fuel cells. In the city, an area of about 175 hectares, everything and everyone will be connected via data networks, cameras and sensors. Many new technologies will also be tested, such as autonomy, robotics, personal mobility, smart homes and artificial intelligence. With this, Toyota wants to map out what these technologies can mean in the real world.
"Building an entire city from scratch, even on a small scale like this, is a unique opportunity to develop future technologies, including a digital control system for the city's infrastructure," Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Corporation, said during the presentation at CES. "By connecting people, buildings and vehicles all together and allowing them to communicate through data and sensors, we are able to test AI technology which allows us to fully exploit its potential."
Toyota will invite other commercial and academic partners and interested scientists and researchers to come and work on their own projects in Woven City. "We welcome anyone with a mission to improve our future way of life to take advantage of this unique research ecosystem and join us in creating an even better way of life and better mobility for everyone."
Danish architect
Danish architect Bjarke Ingels has been brought in to design the city. His firm previously created the two new World Trade Centers in New York and the Lego House in Denmark, among others. "The rise of different technologies is changing the way we live and navigate our cities," says Ingels. "Connected, autonomous, zero-emission and shared mobility solutions will undoubtedly unleash a world of possibilities for new forms of urban living. With the breadth of technologies and industries we have been able to use and collaborate with from the Toyota ecosystem of companies, we believe we have a unique opportunity to explore new forms of urbanity with the Woven City so that other cities can start using it too."
Design of the city
City divides street use into three types: for faster vehicles only, lower-speed vehicles, personal mobility and pedestrians, and a park-like promenade for pedestrians only. These street types weave together into an organic grid pattern to help accelerate autonomy testing.
City's buildings will be made mainly of wood and by robots to reduce its carbon footprint. Roofs will be covered with photovoltaic panels to generate solar energy, in addition to energy generated by hydrogen fuel cells. Residents will have access to a variety of technologies such as in-home robotics that support daily living. The houses are equipped with artificial intelligence and sensors to monitor residents' health, among other things.
To move residents around the city, fully autonomous zero-emission vehicles will be deployed on main roads. In and around Woven City, autonomous 'Toyota e-palettes' will be used for transport and deliveries, as well as mobile retail. The city will house Toyota employees and their families, pensioners, retailers, visiting scientists and partners. 2,000 people will initially live there, expected in early 2021.
