Less than four years after the announcement of the plan to build a "smart city" near Mount Fuji in Japan, Toyota, the developer of the new project, announced that it will soon welcome new residents of the "living laboratory". The new city will indeed look like a scientific laboratory, with robots, unmanned vehicles, hydrogen energy, and many AI developments for a comfortable life for residents.
According to preliminary estimates, the total cost of the smart city construction is USD 10.13 billion. And this is despite the fact that the new city has an area of only 708,000 square meters, as it was built on the site of the former Toyota plant, which closed four years ago after the earthquake and tsunami, Interesting Engineering writes.
Toyota reports that all construction work is almost complete. The company plans to move in the first residents by the end of 2024 to test everything and allow experts to collect data on the mobility of all technologies.
The developers of the Japanese miracle city called it the Woven City, where everything is woven in detail for the most comfortable life. Residents will live in environmentally friendly smart homes built of wood, powered mainly by water and equipped with solar panels. "The Woven City is divided into three zones: pedestrian-only areas, roads for autonomous vehicles, and routes for active travel options - bicycles, scooters, rollerblades, etc.
To make its dream of a city of the future a reality, Toyota is partnering with Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), an international architecture firm known for its cutting-edge construction technologies.
"Building an entire city from scratch, even on a small scale like this, is a unique opportunity to develop the technologies of the future," explained Toyota President Akio Toyoda.
According to the developers, the "Woven City" should become a platform for joint creativity of inventors and residents who share Toyota's passion for inventing something new. According to Toyota executives, the company is striving to evolve from an automotive company to a mobility company. Its goal is to redefine "movement" from simply transporting people from point A to point B with cars. And to improve lives by providing efficient, practical and enjoyable mobility for people, goods, information and energy.
Researchers and companies from all over the world will have the opportunity to work on projects in the new city related to personal mobility, unmanned technologies, artificial intelligence, and robotics.
"The diverse support provided by Woven City to advanced professionals will accelerate the development of innovative technologies and services that redefine the future of mobility and promote well-being for all," Toyota executives emphasize.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Inna Vasilyuk
Quelle/Source: Obozrevatel, 08.09.2024