Toyota exhibited the latest ITS technologies and initiatives for safe and comfortable mobility at Smart Mobility City 2015, an event being held alongside the recent Tokyo Motor Show. Toyota focused on two initiatives aiming to change the nature of mobility: ITS Connect, a safety system that enables vehicles to communicate with other vehicles and infrastructure; and Ha:mo, a convenient and user-friendly next-generation urban transport system. Toyota's recently-launched ITS Connect safety package uses vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication to provide drivers with the kind of information that cannot be picked up by on-board sensors, and thereby aids safe driving. As announced earlier, ITS Connect will be equipped on the new Crown (launched on Oct. 1) and Prius (to be launched in December in Japan), followed by one more model before the end of 2015. The Toyota booth featured an on-stage demonstration of V2I and V2V communication, with the stage representing a junction at which a model car, pedestrian sensors, and a 760 MHz wavelength antenna will be placed. The demonstration revealed the convenience and efficacy of the safety package, which will send and receive information to and from the model car in real time. The Right-turn Collision Caution feature of ITS Connect, which describes the sensors used to detect pedestrians, was explained, as well as the timing and methods of alerting the driver through the vehicle's Human Machine Interface. There was an introduction to ITS Connect's Emergency Vehicle Notification function, as well as Communicating Radar Cruise Control, which uses V2V communication to help maintain a safe distance between vehicles. The vehicle on display to demonstrate these features was none other than the all-new Prius. Additionally, on-stage displays will introduce the V2I and V2V services implemented in this version of the safety package, as well as some ITS technologies Toyota aims to implement in the future. Many societies around the world face simultaneous crises in the form of aging populations and severe environmental issues. Through next-generation transport systems like Ha:mo, Toyota aims to help tackle these issues by connecting personal vehicles with public transportation systems. Such systems offer a means of improving freedom of mobility, while revitalizing urban areas and ensuring that transportation takes a minimal toll on the environment. Toyota has been conducting field tests of the Ha:mo transport system in Toyota City in Japan since October 2012 and in Grenoble, France, since October 2014. At Smart Mobility City 2015, Toyota presented a joint car sharing service trial being conducted in Tokyo with Park24, Co., Ltd. The service utilizes Park24's Times Car Plus sharing service, and incorporates elements from the Ha:mo transport system. The display also provided information regarding Toyota's assessment of the future potential for Ha:mo in other cities and tourist areas. In addition, Toyota used an interactive mock-up to explain some of the telematics-based information services Ha:mo could deliver in the future. The booth introduced a simulation called Ha:mo Agent, a route-guidance feature that utilizes an advanced personal identification and voice recognition system alongside a large heads-up display. It is expected to be used on-board next-generation Ha:mo vehicles. As a vehicle currently used in Ha:mo projects in Japan and France, Toyota displayed the COMS, a super-compact electric vehicle produced by Toyota Auto Body.
