The 45th biennial Tokyo Motor show was held at the Tokyo Big Sight venue in Odaiba. Beyond the Motor was the theme this year and reflects how the automotive industry is evolving. In the future, automobiles will do more than transport you from a to b and transcend the current limitations. Many of the booths at the show had cars equipped with some form of artificial intelligence or assistance that will allow people to travel differently.
Examples of the future of travel was in West Hall 4 where the Tokyo Connected Lab. They had a dome called “The Future” where those who filled out the online survey would be given a keyword. Based on that keyword, scenarios would be projected inside the entire dome showing what the future of travel would be like. Next to “The Future” dome was “The Maze,” which used PlayStation VR (virtual reality) system. Thirty participants at a time were able to experience a world where cars, drivers, and city infrastructure are all connected.
West Hall 1 is where Daihatsu and Toyota showcased their up and coming vehicles and technology. Toyota had a grand display for their Concept-i car. This car would use an artificial intelligence system that understands the driver and interact with them as their partner. Thus, turning a car from a “thing” to an “entity.” Also, they debuted their hydrogen powered fuel cell vehicles (FCV), which have zero emissions and caters to a variety of drivers and customers.
Outside the West Hall, Gran Turismo, Citroen, Harley Davidson, and Volvo had a set up. Gran Turismo was promoting its game as an E-Sport. People had a chance to play on tournament level equipment for the game. There was a long queue line to try the attraction, but if you have the time then it is a fun experience. From the West Hall there were shuttle buses going to multiples site where you could test-drive/test-ride some of the newest cars.
East Halls 1 through 8 were filled with exhibition booths from different car companies. The displays were huge and many of them offered the opportunity to enter their new vehicles. A few companies with amazing displays include, but not limited to Lexus, Porsche, Volkswagen, Audi, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Renault, Subaru, Mercedes, BMW, Mazda, Honda, Suzuki, and UD Trucks. When exploring the 8 halls it understandable why this is a 10-day show. There was so much to see that it would require multiple days to explore it all.
