Toyota Winglet Personal Mobility Robot Trial Run

By Ganesh

Updated: Friday, January 31, 2014, 11:37 [IST]

You know the Segway, the two wheeled, self balancing platform with a handle to hold on to, which a are used to travel short distances indoor or inside an office campus, for campus. Well, Toyota has redesigned the Segway, added a few bright colours and it calls it the Winglet.

The Toyota Winglet has now entered testing phase in the city of Tsukuba in Japan. However, a production model is still a long time away. Take a look at a few of Toyota's designs and a video of the Winglet being tested, in the gallery below.

Debut

The Winglet was first showcased as a concept in August 2008.

Trial run

The Winglet is currently being tested on the sidewalks ofTsukuba, Japan.

It's actually a robot!

Toyota calls it the Personal transport assistance robot, but the exact functionality has not been detailed yet.

Aim

Toyota explains that the Winglet was created to contribute "to the development of a society where mobility is safe, freely accessible, and fun."

Future use

Toyota aims to develop the Winglet for future use on public sidewalks. The present testing is beeing done to verify their safety, functionality and convenience.

Range

The electric Winglet can travel 9.6 km/h on a single charge it can be juiced back up in an hour.

Toyota Motor Corporation says:

"From 2014 onward, assessment will focus on aspects of functionality and convenience, including prospective demand and contribution to supporting public mobility, invigorating local communities and improving the environment."