June 18, 2008

Toyota’s i-REAL will be demonstrated for the first time in the UK at the 2008 Goodwood festival of speed.  With a top speed of 18 mph users may feel that the festival of speed is a slightly inappropriate place to showcase what the 1-REAL can do. 

The i-REAL is described as ‘a fully working concept car, a vehicle that neatly adapts to suit the driving environment: upright and slow-moving among pedestrians; lower-angled for stable performance at higher speeds on the road’  It’s little more than an upright wheelchair really and will transport the occupant in a near walking position. 

The i-REAL physically wraps itself around the drivers body and changes it’s stance as it’s speed of travel increases.  Toyota are using the festival to demonstrate the i-REAL’s hill climbing and decending abilities.  The personal transporter is said to represent the next stage of the Japanese giant’s personal mobility vehicle development.  It uses three wheels, two at the front and one at the back which enables it to adjust the height and stance of the driver (I use the word driver in the absence of anything more suitable).  The i-REAL has a short wheelbase and upright stance when travelling at slow speeds and a longer wheelbase, more laid back posture in high speed mode.  There are sensors that ensure safe handling, both to the driver and those around the vehicle.  The perimeter monitoring sensors detect when a collision with a person or object is imminent and alerts the driver by emitting a noise and vibrating; at the same time it alerts people around it of its movements through the pleasant use of light and sound. 

At a time when there are serious concerns that people are not exercising enough, it’s hard to see the i-REAL as being a sensible addition to our transport options.  The prospect of hearing one behind you playing pleasant sounds, to alert you that you’re about to be mown down by Metal Mickey, is an amusing picture to conjour with.  I’d expect these to be as popular as the Sinclair C5 but times have changed so there may be a market for them with the remote control generation.  I don’t know how big they are but there will almost certainly be a market for them in the States.  The next time you’re in a Texan shopping mall, the shopper in front may well be a Toyota!

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