Engineers from Toyota create a transparent, drivable orb reminiscent of a hamster wheel for transportation.
Transparent Spherical Mobility Device Debuts at Toyota's Engineering Festival
Toyota City, Japan - A transparent, human-carrying sphere that operates on the mechanics of a hamster wheel made its debut at Waku-Waku World, Toyota City's annual engineering festival in October. The device, designed by Toyota Engineering Society, has captured the imagination of visitors, inviting them to marvel at its ingenuity and emotional resonance.
The spherical mobility device is a testament to engineering playfulness and technical exploration. The main challenges in fabricating the transparent sphere were achieving high clarity and robustness in a large, curved acrylic shell. Toyota collaborated with Shinshi, an acrylic specialist experienced in producing high-strength curved panels for aquariums, to address these challenges.
Key difficulties included avoiding cloudiness and imperfections in the clear material, ensuring structural strength and durability for a two-meter diameter transparent sphere, managing the fabrication in segmented parts (four joined sections) to create the full sphere, and polishing processes to eliminate haze and achieve crystal-clear transparency.
Solutions implemented included careful casting techniques with acrylics, segmenting the sphere into four parts for feasible fabrication and assembly, meticulous polishing of jointed sections to ensure seamless clarity, and using materials and processes proven in demanding aquarium panel manufacturing for strength and transparency.
Inside the sphere, a wheeled cart runs on rails to rotate it, with counterweights to keep the seating platform level as it moves. The movement of the device is controlled by a joystick, offering both manual and autonomous modes. The device can reach speeds of up to 10 km/h.
Over 200 people formed a line for the device, with test rides assigned by lottery. Visitors, including children, piloted the sphere across a stage designed to evoke an ocean and left smiling. The success of the public demonstration is significant for the device's potential as a symbol of Toyota's innovative engineering capabilities.
However, it's important to note that the spherical mobility concept is not a practical transportation solution due to its lack of traction control, steering precision, and real-world usability. The device serves as a creative engineering showcase rooted in Toyota's monozukuri philosophy, which emphasizes craftsmanship, attention to detail, and continuous improvement.
The transparent, rolling capsule symbolizes mastery of craft and the joy of invention. It's a reminder that at the heart of Toyota's engineering is a spirit of curiosity and a commitment to innovation, inviting us all to marvel and ask, "What's this? It's amazing!"
[1] "Toyota's Transparent Spherical Mobility Device: Overcoming Fabrication Challenges" - Engineering & Technology [2] "Inside Toyota's Spherical Mobility Device: A Closer Look at the Innovative Design" - Wired Japan
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