2024.2.16

Toyota Boshoku's vision of Future Mobility Life!

Promoting Future Mobility Life at the Japan Mobility Show 2023

The Japan Mobility Show 2023 was held at Tokyo Big Sight from October 28 (Sat) to November 5 (Sun), 2023.
“Discover a future you can’t wait to navigate!” That was the theme of the Mobility Show.

At this exhibition, Toyota Boshoku showcased "Future Mobility Life." The key point is that rather than a mobility space, a mobility service, or a mobility design, it's about a mobility "life."
We want the time and space people spend in their cars to be more comfortable, more meaningful, and more enriching. This is a concept that Toyota Boshoku, as a manufacturer of automobile seats and interior components that are the closest to users, is uniquely positioned to realize. In this article we introduce you to a part of this exhibition, in which visitors were able to see and experience for themselves the challenge of our near-future automobile interior space.

Rideshare mobility of the future — MX221

A wide range of people use cars, and what they want to be able to do inside their cars is equally wide ranging. If rideshare services using self-driving vehicles become widespread, what kind of interior space will be needed?

The concept of MX221, which offers a versatile space, is "Diversatility."* The layout can be changed to meet diverse user needs and the interior space can be arranged as desired. For example, wheelchair users can travel safely and comfortably by securing their wheelchair inside the vehicle. In addition, an electric ramp allows wheelchair users to get in and out of the vehicle without the need for a caregiver.

*A term coined by combining the words "Versatility" and "Diversity"

The MX221 can also be arranged in a variety of ways, such as MX Pass for users who want to travel in comfort, MX Plus for those who want to have fun with family and friends, and MX Prime for business users. Through ridesharing, we aim to provide dreams, hopes, and surprises, and bring smiles to the faces of many people.

⁠Details of MX221: CES 2023 Toyota Boshoku Booth

A seat made of artificial muscles that adapts to the occupant's body — VODY 2.0

What if car seats could change shape according to the occupant's body shape, posture, and movement during travel to provide the best possible ride?

VODY 2.0 allows occupants to experience such a feeling of oneness with their seat. The seat is constructed with artificial muscles that conform to the occupant's physique. It's a revolutionary concept that uses actuators to actively alter the seat by sensing the state of the car and passenger. To maintain the occupant's posture in accordance with the vehicle's behavior and driving motion, the side support changes during cornering, the upper body is firmly supported during acceleration, and the seat surface supports the thighs during braking to prevent forward slippage.

The starting point for development was to create a seat that's a perfect fit for anyone, and we are looking to realize a positive driving scenario through hardware born from human-centered thinking and the technology to control it.

Details of VODY 2.0: ⁠VODY 2.0 VODY 2.0–2

Achieves both energy savings and comfort!—Thermal comfort seat

For a comfortable drive, what if car seats could adjust their temperature according to the season?

You may have thought that air conditioning would be enough, but seat manufacturer Toyota Boshoku decided to make seats intelligent. The thermal comfort seat can enhance comfort even more by cooling the seat in summer and warming it in winter, and by blowing air around the neck.
Having seats directly heat or cool a person is more energy efficient and comfortable than having the entire vehicle interior covered by air conditioning. Toyota Boshoku will continue to propose new value in this way.

Exercise while sitting?! — SmartGlidr

What if there was a seat that would allow you to exercise while sitting during travel and even provide health support?

The "SmartGlidr" is the realization of this. SmartGlidr was developed as a way to help alleviate lack of exercise, which has become a global issue.

The product promotes blood flow in the legs by moving the under-seat slider back and forth with both feet. The vehicle occupants can enjoy games and exercise in spare moments while on the travelling (although the driver must do so while stopped).
In addition, exercise data such as heart rate, number of steps taken, and calories burned, obtained from a sensor built into the cushion, can be managed via a smartphone. When not in use, the device can be stored under the seat, so the interior of future mobility can even be used as a personal training gym.