Toyota thinks about the future once again as they unveiled the “Winglet” which is “a personal transport assistance robot ridden in a standing position.” The robot was created in order to help people to have a safer and more mobile life therefore it could become an everyday transportation mean.
The Winglet is being developed by Toyota Motor Corporation, or TMC, and it’s “still being refined” as it surely needs some improvements. The robot features a body, an electric motor, two wheels and internal sensors (of course), the latter with the purpose of monitoring your position in order to make some adjustments that will increase or decrease power for stability.
“An unique parallel link mechanism” ensures the movement, you can go forward, backward and it’s simple to turn as you’ll only have to shift body weight therefore the Winglet is “safe and useful even in tight spaces or crowded environments.”
In order to fit everybody’s preferences, Toyota developed three version, “L”, “M” and “S”. These models vary between “practical” and “hands-free sporty”.
TMC will begin testing, technical and consumer trials in Autumn at the Central Japan International Airport near Nagoya, and Laguna Gamagori, and then they will see how the Winglet reacts to crowding and other conditions, and they also want to see how regular people acts around the robot and they will test at the Tressa Yokohama shopping complex in Yokohama City in 2009. Check out the video below and tell us what you think about this device.
Press Release via Akihabara News
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September 12th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
This is a blatant rip-off the segway. Japan didn’t allow segways into their country because they claimed they were dangerous. They just wanted to protect Japanese companies from foreign competition until they could produce their own. The Japanese do it in all industries.
October 31st, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Yea right, like the main base of transport is going to be some kind of segway type personal vehicle