Hasta La Gadget! Page not found

Oct 02

Toyota Smart INSECT is aptly named

[CEATEC 2012] Adding to the list of weird names for products we’ve seen at CEATEC 2012, we’ve now got the Toyota Smart INSECT. However, instead of a six-legged creature as its name implies, we get a fully-electric vehicle with aesthetic stylings that make it resemble one. The Toyota Smart INSECT (acronym for Information Network Social Electric City Transporter) is a one-seater car with two doors that flip up gull-wing style and a curved windshield that make it look like some sort of mechanical bug. Not many details about the car have been released (mileage, speed etc) but it does have some interesting features we haven’t seen in other cars. Motion sensors and facial recognition capabilities allow the car to recognize its driver when he/she walks towards it, so they can unlock the car without having to do anything. Users can then open or close a door without touching it. Pretty cool for folks with their hands full after a trip to the supermarket.
(more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: TDK’s contactless charging system makes it easy to charge your EV, Clarion full digital speakers are power savers for your vehicle,

Oct 02

Toyota’s Smart Insect concept EV packs Kinect motion sensor, voice recognition (video)

Posted in: Today's Chili

Toyota is showing off its new Smart Insect prototype at the company’s CEATEC booth. The fully electric car charges via a standard 100-volt AC outlet, and it’s decked out with gull-wing doors and motion detection courtesy of Microsoft’s Kinect. The on-board motion sensors allow the car to recognize its owner based on face and body shape, and it predicts the owner’s behavior by analyzing movement and determining when to open the door, for example. (It also allows for the front and rear displays to show a welcome message when the owner approaches the car.) There’s also voice recognition for opening the car door and other functions, with a speaker on the hood of the car and dashboard-mounted “dialogue monitors” on the front and back.

The tech carries through to the Insect’s interior, which sports a wireless charging pad, a dash-mounted monitor that connects to the driver’s handset and a button for dialing up Toyota’s virtual agent. As a connected car, the Insect naturally ties in with entertainment and navigation services (in this case, via Toyota’s Smart Center). There’s also integration with a home energy management system, which allows the owner to adjust air conditioning and lock the front door via a smartphone app. As this is a proof of concept — and one we couldn’t test out, at that — it’s unclear how well these features work, and it’s unlikely that we’ll ever see the prototype make it to market. Still, it’s fun to dream, and you can do that by tuning into our hands-on video just past the break.

Gallery: Toyota Smart Insect Electric City Transporter hands-on