Woven City – Toyota baut die Stadt der Zukunft

Toyota möchte die Autos der Zukunft auch in der Zukunft fahren lassen und baut dafür einfach mal selbst eine ganze Future-Klein-Stadt. Mit sehr viel Grün, ähnlich vielen Solar- und Wasserstoffzellen, Smarthomes, Roboter-Assistenten, sowie autonomen öffentlichen Verkehrsmitteln und emissionsfreien Mini-Elektroautos in einem sich vollkommen selbstversorgenden und nachhaltigen Ökosystem. Woven City soll sie heißen und sieht auf dem bewegten Papier so aus, wie 2020 klingt. Ich bin derweil schon mal gespannt, wie futuristic denn die Mietpreise der Zukunft sein werden.

Woven City will be a fully connected and sustainable ecosystem. It will be powered by hydrogen fuel cells but will also harness solar power through roof-mounted solar panels. Residences will have as small a footprint as possible, and will be made of wood in typical Japanese style but using modern, robotic production methods.

The homes will be anything but old-school inside: in-home robotics will assist with daily living, Toyota says. Sensor-based AI will check on the residents’ health and take care of basic needs, enhancing daily life and providing a sense of security and positivity. Hopefully, it will be nothing like the sense of security humanity (fictionally) experienced right before Skynet became self-aware in Terminator.

The streets of Woven City will be of three types, depending on the usage they’re designed for: for faster vehicles only; for lower speed, personal mobility and pedestrians; and for pedestrians only (park-like promenades). They will weave in an “organic grid pattern” meant to facilitate expansive testing on autonomy.

Speaking of autonomy, Toyota says that only zero-emission, fully autonomous vehicles will be allowed in the city. Transportation, deliveries and changeable mobile retail will be carried out using e-Palettes.