What is Toyota's Concept-i?

As a vehicle owner and car lover, you will know all the quirks and capabilities your car has. 
You will feel when something is not right or if the engine becomes sluggish… 

But how well does your car know you? Can it know you? Not the same way you do. Your car doesn’t care if you’ve had a bad day or if you are sad. It doesn’t show empathy. It just cruises on by under your control.  

Until now. The Toyota Concept-i is about to change all that. 

The future of mobility

With the future in mind and the desire to inspire it, Toyota have come up with a forward-thinking concept that revolves around you. Toyota Concept-i has been designed from the inside out. It is warm, comforting, friendly and engaging. 

You dream about technology changing and the possibility of flying cars… but how about a realistic future with intelligent cars that continue to learn?   

The Concept-i learns your needs and anticipates them for you. A car that has a bond with you, the driver, just as you have had for decades of cars before. Yui not only assists your driving, it also connects with you on a more personal level. 

Yui uses this connection to inform Concept-i of your needs so that the car can execute the next action accordingly. 

What is Yui?

Yui… who is it? What is it? Yui is an interface and a friend. It works in tandem with AI to be a liaison between you and your car. 

How does it work?

Concept-i has biometric sensors throughout the car that can detect how you are feeling. The car’s AI then analyses this information to decide what automation features are required.   

The AI can determine your emotion. For example, when you are sad, it will make recommendations to ensure your safety. If necessary, it will take over and use autonomous driving to get you to your destination safely.  

The better Yui knows you, the better it can protect you. 

How safe is safe enough?

There is a lot of doubt surrounding autonomous machines and technology that holds the lives of humans in its hands. 

When the press conference was held at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show to talk about Toyota Concept-i, Dr. Gill Pratt, Toyota Research Institute CEO took the stage. 

Here is a quote about TRI’s mission. 

“TRI’s mission is focused on Artificial Intelligence and includes four goals: 

First, to greatly enhance vehicle safety and someday create a car incapable of causing a crash.  

Second, to greatly increase mobility access…for those who cannot drive 

Third, to heavily invest in robotics …to move people not just across town…but in their home…from room to room. 

And finally, to accelerate discovery in materials science by applying techniques from artificial intelligence and machine learning.” 

What to expect from the Concept-i interior

The Toyota Concept-i interior is very space age. Very futuristic. And very, very white. 

Full of soothing lights, padded seats, comfort, carbon fibre and a minimalist vibe, Concept-i has emotion sensors and an interactive interface that is not only the body of the car but also the mind and soul. 

Are you excited about the Toyota Concept-i?

Are you ready to jump into the future and connect with a car that wants to bond with you? A car that cares not only about your emotional state but also the safety of you, your family and friends? A car that wants to make sure you reach your destination safely. A car that has the capability to drive you without aid, and to protect you by pre-empting your next move. 

Welcome to the next step in automobiles… the Toyota Concept-i.