TRAILBLAZING TRENDS
By T MurraliA Car In Airbags
8 | AutoPartsAsia | NOVEMBER 2017
A
good number of
international auto shows
in different parts of the
world made October a
busy month. One of them, the most
relevant to this column, was the Tokyo
Motor Show (October 27 - November
5). It was teeming with concept cars
opening future possibilities for the
mobility in society, and bustling with
the latest models ready to enter the
market. The most outlandish concept
of the 45th edition of the biennial
show was the dent-proof car, Flesby
II, made by the Japanese company
Toyoda Gosei. The exterior of the
vehicle is covered by undulating
airbags.
This reminded me of one of the
replies a leading Tier-1 supplier
received from a group of children
when asked about their views on
how a future car should be. A fourth
standard child answered, “it is better
to have an air-bag for the car itself
rather than having some for the
passengers inside.”
The design of Flesby-II uses a
shape-shifting rubber that moves with
electric power to protect the exterior
from collisions, rather than relying
solely on traditional placement inside
the car. The concept car is equipped
with external airbags to protect
against fender benders. The body
panels of the ultra-compact vehicle
are covered by a soft, next-generation
rubber that can absorb the collision
impact. “We put airbags, which are
mainly employed inside the car,on
its exterior like its hood or fender
to protect the entire body,” Takashi
Ishikawa, Managing Officer of Toyoda
Gosei Co, said.
Toyota Concepts
Among others at the show, Toyota
unveiled two new offerings in its
Concept-i series, including the
Concept-i Ride. Designed for intra-
city transportation,it is equipped
with user-friendly functions intended
specifically for wheelchair users.
The vehicle is designed to be very
compact for easy parking even in
crowded areas. Its wraparound large
window gives wide view of the road.
The vehicle has a facility to lift the
wheelchair using the power door, and
then the passenger can pull it into
the vehicle next to the seat towards
the back of the cabin, without taking
up the crucial driver cabin space. It
is also equipped with a power seat
to address the issues wheelchair
users have with entering the vehicle
by providing ample range of motion.
According to Toyota, the wheelchair
users can get in and out of the car
in normally-sized spaces without
looking for wheelchair-specific spots.Disabled Community
Looks like Toyota has already
jumped the gun as the company
unveiled a car for people on
wheelchair, while at another
conference held last month in the
US, issues on how the OEMs can
support people with disabilities
were deliberated. Titled ‘The
Promise: Autonomous Vehicles
and the Disability Community,’ the
event was hosted by the National
Federation of the Blind (NFB)
and the Alliance of Automobile
Manufacturers. Held at NFB’s
Jernigan Institute in Baltimore,
Maryland, USA, the conference
brought together representatives
from government, the automotive
industry and advocates for the
disabled to discuss the advances,
challenges, and the path forward for
autonomous vehicle development.
It made important contributions
to the ongoing discussions on
how autonomous vehicles can be
developed and deployed safely forthe needs of millions of people with
disabilities.
At the conference the NFB
President, Mark Riccobono, said
that “historically, accessibility has
been a costly post-purchase vehicle
modification for most people with
disabilities, and non-existent for the
blind.” The President and CEO of the
Auto Alliance, Mitch Bainwol, gave
a direct reply:“We are motivated
by the tremendous potential for
enhanced safety for everyone and
the opportunity to provide greater
mobility freedom to people with
disabilities, and the elderly. Given the
enormity of the social benefits, we
are anxious to work with stakeholders
and government leaders to develop
the policy framework to realize these
benefits as soon as we can.”
I think these kinds of initiatives from
the formative stage of disruptive
technologies like autonomous
vehicles will benefit everyone in the
society, especially those who need
additional support for a normal life.Extent Of Autonomy
Another trailblazing trend is the rise
of automated vehicles that may spell
doom for taxis, and public transport
buses in 15 years. According to a
research report from the Goldman
Sachs Group, less than 10 percent of
travel in North America will be in non-
personally owned vehicles. However,
the report author Bern Grush, a
Systems Engineer and Futurist, says
that by 2030, that percentage may
exceed 25 as more people will turn
to robo-taxis, micro-transit and ride
sharing. This is because automation
will make these systems more reliable
and cheaper than today’s taxi and
bus services, and even personal
ownership, for more travellers.See you next month with more
Trailblazing Trends.......