Toyota to Show Smart Insect Concept In Japan

Smart Insect, Toyota's latest concept car recently debuted at an electronics show in Japan. The concept of smart insect looks like a narrower version of urban as the Smart ForTwo or Scion iQ, with a kind of battery-electric drivetrain. The small doors open upwards, and the interior has a yoke-shaped aircraft instead of a traditional steering wheel.

The Smart INSECTS is a conceptual development of the "COMS" EV produced by a subsidiary of Toyota Auto Body Co., and was designed to show the next generation of communication-related services. The name is an acronym for "Information Network Social Electric City Transporter".

The electric-powered model has a number of features such as motion sensors, voice recognition and prediction of behavior, and it connects with its driver and his home via the cloud Toyota Smart Center.

Among other things, the smart insect uses facial-recognition technology to identify and authenticate a driver enters the car. The driver can operate functions like the lights and navigation system simply by speaking, and a smartphone app allows the owner to control the Smart Insect remotely. The entire car’s dashboard appears to have been replaced by a large, tablet computer-like touchscreen, and the owner’s smartphone sits in a cradle at the right-hand side of the steering yoke.