Toyota announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas plans to build a ‘city of the future’ in Japan, to be used as a test bed for development of advanced technology.
Called the Woven City, to reflect the carmaker’s origins as a loom manufacturer, the city of the future would be built on a 175-acre site at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan.
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By GlobalDataThe city would be home to around 2,000 full time residents and researchers and would be a fully connected ecosystem powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
It would be used as a fully functioning laboratory with living people, cars and buildings for the development of advanced technology such as autonomous driving and other personal mobility systems, smart homes, robotics and artificial intelligence in a real world environment.
Toyota president Akio Toyoda said “building a complete city from the ground up, even on a small scale like this, is a unique opportunity to develop future technology, including a digital operating system for the city’s infrastructure. With people, buildings and vehicles all connected and communicating with each other through data and sensors, we would be able to test connected AI technology… in both the virtual and the physical realms… maximising its potential”.
James Kuffner, chief executive officer of the Toyota Research Institute-Advanced Development, told Reuters the Woven City would have police, fire and ambulance services, schools and could be home to a mix of Toyota employees, retirees and others residents.
Construction would start next year on the site of its car factory in Susono in Shizuoka Prefecture which is scheduled to be closed at the end of 2020.
Toyota said it would invite other commercial and academic partners and other interested scientists and researchers from around the world to join what it describes as a “one of a kind, real world incubator”.
“We welcome all those inspired to improve the way we live in the future, to take advantage of this unique research ecosystem and join us in our quest to create an ever better way of life and mobility for all,” Toyoda added.