Japanese automaker Toyota has completed the first phase of its $10 billion Woven City project, a futuristic mobility testing facility near Mount Fuji. The 47,000 square meter complex will be connected by underground passageways and serve as a hub for researchers and startups to share ideas.
The city’s name honors Toyota’s beginnings as a maker of automatic textile looms, with the first residents set to include just 100 workers from partner companies, including Nissin and Daikin. Autonomous vehicles, including an electric bus that provided hot drinks, will be used to collect garbage and make deliveries.
Toyota aims to test its futuristic mobility solutions, including robotics, artificial intelligence, and hydrogen fuel cell technology, without expecting immediate financial returns. Analysts believe the project is driven by Toyota’s ambition to develop autonomous robotic rides rivaling Google’s Waymo.
The project’s completion marks a significant step towards Toyota’s goal of pioneering sustainable transportation solutions, with the Woven City set to expand to 294,000 square meters in its final phase.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/toyota-city-japan-ai-robotics-eeedfead1830a40688859627829f82e3