Toyota has been experimenting with Personal Mobility devices for some time (i-unit and i-swing concepts). Their latest prototype is called i-REAL. It is a personal mobility vehicle which uses three wheels (two at the front and one at the back). The ‘driver’ sits in a chair when operating the i-Real.
It operates in both low-speed and high-speed modes. When operating in low-speed mode, it shortens its wheelbase to allow it to move naturally among pedestrians (and at a similar eyesight height) without taking up a large amount of sidewalk space. In high-speed mode, the wheelbase lengthens to provide a lower center of gravity and better driving performance. The i-Real is like a three-wheeler Segway and hits 20mph.
Watch the 4 minute video from BBC here. Interesting part of demo starts about 2 minutes into the video.
Toyota says the i-REAL ensures safe handling [both to the driver and those around the vehicle] by employing perimeter monitoring sensors to detect whenever a collision with a person or object is imminent. It alerts the driver through noise and vibrations and alerts people around it of its movements through the use of light and sound. The i-Real concept car is designed to communicate with other i-Reals, allowing you to find and navigate to them on command.
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