Tag: Toyota

Because picking up poop is one of the least desirable aspects of dog walking, Toyota recently applied for patents related to a dog-walking robot that can even clean up after a dog takes care of its business.

Not too long ago, I visited with Toyota in Tokyo to learn about their plans to transform from an automotive company into a mobility company – concerning themselves with all of the different ways that people need to get around, and not just cars and trucks anymore.

I recently attended the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, and among the numerous displays of production and concept cars, I came across the booth for the Toyota Boshoku Corporation, who makes seating, interior, and exterior components for vehicles.

I’m here in Tokyo this week for the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, and while here, I stopped by the new headquarters for the Toyota Research Institute – Advanced Development (TRI-AD) to check out some of the technologies the company and their partners are working on.

We’re less than a year away from the start of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, so the Japanese city is well underway with preparations for the celebration of athletic talent, sportsmanship, and global goodwill. Among the many things that will be needed for the games to be successful will be methods for athletes to get quickly and safely between their housing and venues during the games – and automaker Toyota is working on just that.

I recently had the opportunity to visit Toyota’s largest vehicle production facility in the world, the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK). While there, I not only got to see how humans and machines work together to make about 2000 cars per day, but learned a bit about the magicians who pull the strings behind the curtain of a car factory, the production engineering team.

Sorry NBA players. You are on the way out. Once they perfect basketball robots that is. This guy is the first step. Check out some videos below of the Toyota Engineering Society’s CUE 3 humanoid robot, a robot designed to shoot baskets with “nearly 100 percent accuracy.”

If you like your pizza hot, fresh, and delivered by robots, look no further. Toyota and Pizza Hut have got you covered. The two brand giants recently collaborated to make a high tech pickup truck that has all the gear on board to make pizza on the go, so it can be made to order on its way to its recipient.

Like Crocodile Dundee once said, “That’s not a knife. This is a knife.” When they’re not building giant fighting robots, the guys behind Megabots like to smash and slice stuff with giant knives. They decided to use a 500-pound knife they custom built to stab a scrapyard Toyota.

Driving can get lonely. It helps to have a companion. Even if it isn’t human. That’s why Toyota has announced that it’ll sell its KIROBO Mini “communication partner robot” starting at the end of this year.

Toyota recently invited me out to southern California to take some time getting to know the new 2016 Prius. While the Prius is known for its exceptional fuel economy and eco-consciousness, it doesn’t exactly have a reputation for being a fun or dynamic car.

One of the cool things about 3D printers is that you can use them to make just about anything you can dream up. An engineer named Eric Harrell used his 3D printer to make all the components needed for a scale model of a Toyota 22RE engine back in January.

Oooooooooooo which car has a windshield out of which you can’t see? SpongeBob Sienna! In a silly bit of cross-promotion, Toyota reverse-pimped its 2015 Sienna with a SpongeBob Squarepants theme. The Nickelodeon mascot’s face covers the front of the vehicle, while a huge bubble blower sits on top.

Recently, the fine folks at Toyota were kind enough to give me the opportunity to put their brand new 2014 4Runner SUV through its paces in rural Pennsylvania. I had the chance to drive several different models of the updated 4Runner, in a variety of driving conditions.

Modern automobiles benefit from increasingly small and smart computers, which can help control or augment everything from a car’s dashboard display to fundamental functions like steering. But as the world is slowly realizing, if something runs software, that thing can be hacked.

Earlier this month, Toyota unveiled a new electric vehicle concept called the i-Road. It is an electric vehicle concept known as a Personal Mobility Vehicle. From the looks of it, the i-Road has more in common with a motorcycle than a traditional car.