Toyota Group has held a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of construction of its fully-connected Woven City prototype.
Built adjacent to the Japanese automotive OEM’s Higashi-Fuji production site at the foot of Mount Fuji, Woven City will be a test-bed for software-based mobility development projects in a working community environment.
Toyota president Akio Toyoda said: “The unwavering themes of the Woven City are ‘human-centred’, a ‘living laboratory’ and ‘ever-evolving.’ Together with the support of our project partners, we will take on the challenge of creating a future where people of diverse backgrounds are able to live happily.”
As previously reported by CiTTi, Toyota announced the plans for the ‘city of the future’ in January 2020. The vehicle manufacturer said the project would commence one-year on from the announcement despite limitations imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Woven City will trial new technology in real-world environments across a wide range of areas, such as automated driving, personal mobility, robotics and artificial intelligence. It is expected to provide opportunities for businesses and researchers from around the world. It will also be home to Toyota’s autonomous electric shuttle e-Palette.
