TOKYO: Japanese automobile giant Toyota will ensure that the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympic Games will experience its innovative initiative called ‘Mobility for All’.
The company will be providing driverless cars known as the ‘Toyota Concept-i’ for the first time in the competition’s history to officials, athletes, media, volunteers and spectators that can recognize drivers’ emotions and preferences and can make conversation using artificial intelligence (AI). They will also have several fascinating features such as zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell technology and SAE Level 4 Automation.
It will provide transportation support between the venues of the event through its Toyota Production System (TPS)-based system in its vehicles such as e-Palette, which is it new generation battery electric vehicle. The system also includes the likes of safety technologies such as Toyota Safety Sense (TSS), Lexus Safety System+ (LSS+) and Parking Support Brake (PKSB). It is a possibility that robots could be introduced as a part of the mechanism of mobility support.
The idea of Toyota transforming from a car company to a mobility company lies in giving unprecedented access to people including those with impairments, making them feel the freedom to move. As a result, the company’s assistive vehicles namely WelCab and JPN Taxi besides personal mobility solutions like the Toyota i-Road will be able to people on wheelchairs and security officers too.
“The freedom of being mobile is at the heart of being able to participate in society,” said Toyota president Akio Toyoda.
“If someone wants to take on a challenge and moving is what is preventing them from doing so, Toyota would like to help tackle that problem. We want mobility to be a possibility, not an obstacle. By being involved with the Olympics, the Paralympics and the Special Olympics Games, I hope that Toyota will come to respect everyone’s uniqueness and embrace diversity. Once that is realized, we will finally be able to take a step closer to our goal of “mobility for all” and ensure, like athletes show us every day, that being mobile equals having a chance to make one’s dreams come true.”
It is expected that Toyota will provide a fleet of over 3,000 passenger vehicles for official use and others. It is targeting to achieve the lowest ever emission rate for any Olympic Games in history as 30 million people are likely to flock to venues across the country.
Toyota is the official worldwide mobility partner of the Summer and Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games till its 2024 edition in Paris. In 2017, it was also named the Global Partner of the Special Olympics Games which will take place in Abu Dhabi in 2019.
