Background information
CES Behind the Scenes: The rush on the first day, deadly sins and granite
by Dominik Bärlocher
Self-driving cars: ideas, thoughts and virtual reality
9.1.2019
Translation: machine translated
Video: Stephanie Tresch
In a virtual ride in a self-driving car, Toyota Boshoku shows what will one day pass for a car. The idea, even if it only exists virtually, is convincing.
The car as we know it is a thing of the past. Soon, the steering wheel, accelerator pedal and brake, speedometer and rev counter will be relics from a long-forgotten era. Something that only enthusiasts and nostalgics will know what to do with.
This is the vision of Toyota Boshoku, a company of the Toyota Group. At CES 2019 in Las Vegas, the company is presenting an almost functional prototype of a self-driving car. But the engine, electric of course, and colour and such are not important. At the stand, it's all about the interior of the vehicle, which is called Toyota Moox. Incidentally, Moox is a contraction of the words "mobile" and "box".
Even if the car hasn't driven a metre yet, the engineers at the stand know exactly how the ride should feel. That's why Team digitec sat down in the seats of the car of tomorrow and drove a virtual lap around Hitachi Park.
The car becomes an office
The interior of the vehicle hardly resembles a car anymore. All the webcams - from the Logitech Brio 4K to other undefinable models - are still to be ignored. These will one day be installed in the frame. Inside as well as outside.
Where the windscreen is - or the rear window? - is fitted with a screen. No view to the outside. But that doesn't matter, because the computer is there to steer the vehicle safely through traffic. You should be able to work on a tabletop under the main screen. The people at Toyota Boshoku know who the CES audience is. Productivity is a top priority. You can probably relax over at LG and the beer tap in your own home.
So while the car whirs through the metropolises of this world - a cross-country model is in the early planning stage, but could easily be created if the battery technology is right - you should be able to devote yourself to life.
The interactive window
If you get tired of working in the car, you can look out of the window. The left-hand side of the car is practically a large pane of glass. Apart from the door facing the pavement, the Mooxp has no other doors and no boot.
The windscreen should be Context Aware. In other words: cameras on the outside of the vehicle not only ensure driving safety, but also look around and show you interesting things.
At the CES, however, the view is extremely boring. There are a few people standing around taking photos with interest, perhaps talking shop with each other or simply casting furtive glances at the two Swiss inside the vehicle.
That's why the stand operators have decided to offer a virtual ride with a virtual date. So I put on an Oculus Rift with a light lavender scent. Meanwhile, Stephanie has to get up from her seat, says the engineer. Because that's where my date is supposed to sit.
The date in question is an anime character who somehow resembles the virtual singer Hatsune Miku, but has black hair. She babbles away, talks about the journey and never keeps her mouth shut. But she is an outgrowth of the demo, which couldn't be more exciting.
Leave your mobile in your pocket
The large side window is not just a window. Thanks to cleverly integrated screen technology, you will one day be able to display information about your surroundings in the corners. Non-Hatsune Miku explains the flora of Hitachi Park to me and that some trees bloom red, others green. She goes into detail about buildings that we see on the horizon, which she enlarges as an image and then explains.
In short: non-hatsune miku makes the journey exciting.
But then a tinkling in the Oculus Rift. Apparently, as a passenger on the Moox, I received a text message. Non-Hatsune-Miku knows what to do. Because I no longer have to take my mobile out of my pocket. The Moox is connected to my smartphone and exchanges data with it. So I can read the text messages - from a certain Liz - on the side window and reply via voice command.
But before I can tell Anime-Liz anything, non-Hatsune-Miku informs me that we've arrived. End of the tour. What a shame.
Looking ahead
But the Toyota Moox shows one thing: it doesn't always have to be a finished product that can inspire. Imagine your children have to go to football training or school and the public transport system is almost non-existent, just like in Las Vegas. Buses might occasionally stop at the bus stop, even if you're standing there waiting, and you don't really want to take your kids everywhere. The Moox is designed to make this possible, while also providing entertainment and boosting productivity.
The Moox may still be a dream of the future, but one thing is certain: it will come. Because the idea is too good and the technology too advanced for it not to materialise.
You can find all articles on CES 2019 here.
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
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