By Daniel Leussink and Maki Shiraki
SUSONO, Japan (Reuters) -Toyota Motor opened the first section of its Woven City testing site near Japan’s Mt. Fuji on Thursday, more than five years after unveiling the project aimed at accelerating real-world trials of next-generation technologies.
The global automotive industry has been shifting rapidly towards electrification, automation and software-driven innovation since then-CEO Akio Toyoda, who is now Toyota’s chairman, announced the project in January 2020.
Companies like Tesla and Alphabet’s Waymo are already conducting autonomous vehicle trials or offering such services in U.S. cities, while China’s Baidu and Uber have joined forces to deploy autonomous vehicles in some international markets.
Toyota’s software-focused technology unit Woven by Toyota is developing the new site, which simulates a real-life urban environment where residents live alongside experimental technologies such as autonomous vehicles and robotics.
About 300 people, including Toyota employees and their families, are expected to eventually live on-site as part of the first phase of the project.
The number of residents is projected to grow to around 2,000 after development of the entire project, which is being built on the site of a former car plant, is completed.
Through the project, Toyota aims to build a safer and more secure mobility society by integrating vehicles, people, and infrastructure in a real-world setting, Woven by Toyota CEO Hajime Kumabe told reporters on Thursday.
The company also hopes to eventually test vehicles in a live urban setting, similar to trials already underway overseas, said Daisuke Toyoda, Woven by Toyota’s senior vice president and the son of Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda.
“That’s why we believe it’s crucial to gather data that can serve as evidence to ensure safety and security can be properly guaranteed,” he said.
A total of 12 Toyota Group companies, seven other firms and a musician are participating in the project, giving them the opportunity to collect data and conduct long-term tests for products and services that are still being developed.
Among them are air conditioning manufacturer Daikin Industries, which will test technology at Woven City to make indoor air free of pollen. Cedar tree pollen is the main trigger for hay fever in Japan.
Toyota also showcased a self-driving robot equipped with multiple lidar sensors and cameras that can transport vehicles to designated locations, such as car-sharing spots.
The robot runs on a system based on technology Toyota already uses to transport vehicles around auto plants, such as its Motomachi plant in central Aichi prefecture.
(Reporting by Daniel Leussink and Maki Shiraki; Editing by Kate Mayberry)
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