The event, held near a former Toyota plant, was attended by Shizuoka governor Heita Kawakatsu, Toyota president Akio Toyoda, Woven Planet CEO James Kuffner and other Toyota executives.
“The Woven City project officially starts today (Feb 23),” said Toyoda.
Woven Planet is a newly set up Toyota company responsible for mobility development projects. It was announced at CES 2020 in Las Vegas.
Woven City is a project that aims to showcase a human-centered approach to community development.
In Toyota’s shift from a car maker to a mobility company, the project was envisioned to bring new technology to life in a real-world environment across a wide range of areas, such as automated driving, personal mobility, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI). It is expected to provide a number of opportunities for businesses and researchers around the world.
Woven City would have three types of streets set aside at ground level. One would be dedicated to automated driving, another to pedestrians, and the last one to pedestrians with personal mobility vehicles. An underground road would also be built to transport goods.
The community would start with 360 residents, mainly senior citizens, families with young children, and inventors. The community is expected to grow to over 2,000 people, who would include Toyota employees.
The infrastructure of Woven City aims to create an environment where inventions to solve social issues are nurtured.
