Toyota to build prototype future city in Japan

Toyota has revealed plans to build a prototype ‘city of the future’ on a 175-acre site at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan. Pitched as a "living laboratory," Woven City will be home to full-time residents and researchers who will test and develop technologies such as autonomous vehicles, robotics, personal mobility, smart homes and artificial intelligence (AI). "Building a complete city from the ground up, even on a small scale like this, is a unique opportunity to develop future technologies, including a digital operating system for the city’s infrastructure," said Akio Toyoda, president, Toyota Motor Corporation, announcing the initiative at the CES tech trade show in Las Vegas. "With people, buildings and vehicles all connected and communicating with each other through data and sensors, we will be able to test connected AI technology in both the virtual and the physical realms, maximising its potential."