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[CES 2020] Toyota Plans on Building Prototype City of the Future in Japan

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From the Financial Post and Forbes:

 

https://business.financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/toyota-to-build-prototype-city-of-the-future-in-japan-2

 

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LAS VEGAS — Toyota Motor Corp said on Monday it plans to build a prototype “city of the future” at the base of Japan’s Mt. Fuji, powered by hydrogen fuel cells and functioning as a laboratory for autonomous cars, “smart homes,” artificial intelligence and other technologies.

 

Toyota unveiled the plan at CES, the big technology industry show. The development, to be built at the site of a factory that is planned to be closed, will be called “Woven City” – a reference to Toyota’s start as a loom manufacturing company – and will serve as a home to full-time residents and researchers.

 

Toyota did not disclose costs for the project.

 

Executives at many major automakers have talked about how cities of the future could be designed to cut climate-changing emissions from vehicles and buildings, reduce congestion and apply internet technology to everyday life. But Toyota’s plan to build a futuristic community on 175 acres (71 hectares)near Mt. Fuji is a big step beyond what rivals have proposed.

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/sebastianblanco/2020/01/06/ces-2020-toyota-woven-city-will-weave-together-ai-hydrogen-power-and-the-future/

 

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Usually, when old automotive factories shut down, it’s news isn’t good. For example, there’s a correlation between a plant closing and a tremendous rise in opioid use. On top of the potential personal health issues, dirty brownfield sites don’t exactly make for great neighbors. 

Which brings us to Toyota’s announcement at CES today about the upcoming Woven City. Starting with a 175-acre site not far from Mount Fuji where the automaker used to build cars, Toyota is planning to build an all-encompassing city of the future where the automaker can conduct research right where people live their everyday lives. Toyota wants to have 2,000 people living there full-time once it opens at some unspecified date in the future - groundbreaking for the first construction will happen in early 2021 - including families, retirees, Toyota researchers and more. The idea is to bring together autonomous driving technology, hydrogen fuel cell power production and real-world learning. 

 

So, Toyota will be building a sort of city of the future called the Woven City as a laboratory, testing and showcasing various bits of technology, from Toyota's hydrogen fuel cell technology, autonomous technologies, artificial intelligence, on a 175 acre site at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan.

 

Per what was announced, the city will have various technological features, such as autonomous cars, underground delivery network where self-driving robots will deliver goods to people's homes, smart homes equipped with various Toyota-designed robots to assist with daily life, and a digital operating system for the entire city equipped with an AI to manage to test and manage the communications coming from the various sensors. across the city.

 

The city of course will feature sustainable materials, with the buildings being made using a lot of wood and glass and put together by robots. Also, the city will be totally powered by renewable energy with the rooftops having photovoltaic solar panels to generate energy and the city will alsouse Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cells to produce energy as well. 

 

This prototype city is expected to house 2,000 people, all Toyota employees and researchers and their families, and being designed by the Danish architect Bjarke Ingels. Construction will start in 2021.

 

Toyota has launched a website for the city here:

 

https://www.woven-city.global/

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"Toyota Motor Corp said on Monday it plans to build a prototype “city of the future” at the base of Japan’s Mt. Fuji,"
 

 

and during building (or) after built Mt Fiji blows it top? i mean it is along the active ring of fire

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7 minutes ago, circeseye said:

"Toyota Motor Corp said on Monday it plans to build a prototype “city of the future” at the base of Japan’s Mt. Fuji,"
 

 

and during building (or) after built Mt Fiji blows it top? i mean it is along the active ring of fire

The AI running the city will take it as an act of aggression by either mankind or the earth, and swiftly eliminate the problem.

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I actually have medium to high hopes for this. Only because I know Toyota is working with Air Products to make a mainstream hydrogen electric car (which I've driven and is actually very nice). So I know they can do some pretty cool things.

 

Then again, I can only imagine what kind of data mining telemetry and stalking tracking the government (and hackers) will do.

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But why Fuji? 

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2 hours ago, TempestCatto said:

Then again, I can only imagine what kind of data mining telemetry and stalking tracking the government (and hackers) will do.

That's what I'm interested in. How much control of the city would I be able to obtain if I break into this city-wide AI and network? What would I know about the citizens, also how much could I mess with the transportation, it being all autonomous? I assume it would be a very secure network, but the more connections there are, the more possibilities I have to get in. Also the autonomous underground delivery system, how hard would it be to sabotage that? 

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Why is this already sounding like Dr. Venture's Utopia city?
You know - The one that was anything but that.

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2 hours ago, williamcll said:

But why Fuji? 

Is it Fuji that has geothermal/hydro power supplies? Cheap power.

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3 hours ago, TechyBen said:

Is it Fuji that has geothermal/hydro power supplies? Cheap power.

Reading further, it appears that they are building on a Toyota-owned site; there is a car factory in Shizuoka Prefecture that is slated to close by the end of this year:

 

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/01/07/business/tech/toyota-woven-city-mount-fuji/#.XhRx-fx7mUk

 

And the intention is that this city is to be powered by solar and fuel cells... I haven't read anything about using other forms of energy.

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Cool, ways found the idea of future city prototypes as a net idea to show and test various tech how it would/could be. Privacy another thing though. 

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The city of the future better have ample public toilets - something most cities lack!

 

(Don't judge I have a small bladder and need to pee a lot. This is a real concern of mine)

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23 hours ago, Nup said:

I think hydrogen has a bigger role to play. 

Yep. A Big boom of a one.

 

TBF we will never actually go hydrogen past these little communities with massive renewables/nuclear sources. For everyone else it will be batteries and biodiesel.

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Really cool idea....but they didn't even bother to put renders in the article?
So boring. How are people supposed to get interested and excited when they couldn't give us visuals ?

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