The company’s press conference will be live-streamed on Vimeo, in the Mandalay conference center, Oceanside A.

Click on the following link on January 6 at 22:00 CET to view the press conference: 

https://livestream.com/Toyota/2020CES

From January 7-10, Toyota will have a display booth (#6919) in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Visitors attending the booth will experience a visual depiction of Toyota’s ecosystem plans along with mobility products including, e-Palette, micro-Palette, LQ and Walking Area BEVs.

Also included in the booth will be two innovation areas:

• Toyota AI Ventures, Toyota’s US based venture capital firm, will feature several portfolio companies along with an overview of its investment direction. 
• Toyota IP Solutions, Toyota’s newly formed patent team will provide information about the benefits of licensing the impressive IP from Toyota’s accomplished R&D efforts.

Link full press release: Toyota to Build Prototype City of the Future

Next week Toyota will show its Human Support Robot (HSR) to the academic and researchers’ community in Europe at IROS in Madrid from October 1st-5th. Toyota Engineers will also present the HSR research platform in a series of talks.

The HSR, one of Toyota’s mobility concepts developed within our goal to provide freedom of mobility for all, is part of the Toyota Partner Robots family. It reflects our commitment to enriching lives of Communities with a focus on nursing and healthcare, short-distance transport and home-living.

As a compact mobile manipulator with a folding arm, it can pick up objects up off the floor and retrieve objects from shelves. It performs a variety of other tasks to improve the quality of life of elderly people or people with disabilities.

Through the HSR Developer’s Community launched in September 2015, Toyota has been offering its HSR open innovation platform to partners throughout the world. Participating research organizations do not need to develop the actual robot nor the software for the robot’s basic operations. They can focus on developing future ideas and applications by testing their technology and algorithms in a real environment with ease. There are already 44 partners in 12 countries using the HSR. In Europe, TME is also supporting 5 research universities located in Germany, UK, France and The Netherlands.*

The HSR has already been adopted as a standard platform for international robot competitions such as the RoboCup@Home and the World Robot Summit (WRS).

To find out more about the HSR development and Toyota’s other robotics-related project, visit https://www.toyota-global.com/innovation/partner_robot/robot/

For applications to join the HSR Developers’ Community, please contact xr-hsr-info@mail.toyota.co.jp or visit Toyota in IROS at Booth 58.

_{* List of research universities in Europe:}

• Engage in casual conversation, backed by gestures and the ability to respond to user emotions
• Grow and provide tailored companionship by remembering user preferences and past events
• Be taken just about anywhere, with its fit-in-the-palm size and seated height of only 10cm
• Enhance its conversational ability using information from the vehicle and home

Toyota Motor Corporation plans to launch sales of its compact and cuddlesome "Kirobo Mini" communication partner through Toyota vehicle dealers across Japan in 2017. The nationwide rollout will be preceded by presales at designated dealers in Tokyo and Aichi Prefecture this winter, for which advanced orders will be taken online. Kiboro Mini is tentatively priced at 39,800 yen (excluding tax).

Kirobo Mini is a miniature communication partner developed to provide companionship. It fits in the palm of the hand and is only 10cm high when seated. It turns its head toward the person speaking and engages in casual conversation*¹ while moving its head and hands. Its compact size means it can be taken just about anywhere, helping it to fulfill its role as a cuddly companion always on hand for heart-touching communication.

Kiboro Mini's range of gestures and conversation abilities are mainly made possible by connecting Kirobo Mini via Bluetooth®*² to smartphones installed with a dedicated app. A built-in camera enables Kirobo Mini to recognize people's facial expressions, through which it tries to detect their emotions so that it can accordingly adjust its manner of speaking and moving. Kirobo Mini can also converse based on information drawn from the vehicle or home.

TMC has been aiming to create automobiles that exceed customer expectations and that customers view as "irreplaceable companions". In a similar connection, Kiboro Mini is a manifestation of the Toyota Heart Project, which aims to develop a distinctly humanlike interaction between man and machine in a format different from automobiles based on the same fundamental concept of "Inspiring the Heart, Inspiring You", which Toyota applies to its automobile manufacturing.

By providing people opportunities to live with Kirobo Mini, Toyota hopes to contribute to making life and society more abundant.

Kirobo Mini will be on display at the IT and electronics exhibition "CEATEC*³ JAPAN 2016 'Connecting Society, Creating the Future'" to be held at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba Prefecture from October 4 to October 7. Visitors will be able to experience communicating with Kirobo Mini.

*¹Using standard Japanese

*²Bluetooth® is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc.

*³Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies

Outline of Kirobo Mini

Capabilities

Kirobo Mini can:

1. Engage in casual conversation, backed by gestures and the ability to respond to user emotions. Kirobo Mini converses while understanding what is being said to it, as well as interprets the facial expressions of the speaker. It adjusts its gestures and tone of voice to match the conversation, and, moreover, makes communication more meaningful by blinking and looking at the person speaking.
2. Grow and provide tailored companionship by remembering user preferences and past events. Kirobo Mini remembers user likes and dislikes and shared travels. It is able to gradually adjust its points of conversation to make them more suitable for the user.
3. Be taken just about anywhere, with its fit-in-the-palm size and seated height of only 10cm. Kirobo Mini fits in the palm of the hand and is only 10cm high when seated. Its compact size means it can be enjoyed in one's home, car or elsewhere.
4. Enhance its conversational ability using information from the vehicle and home. Based on information about the vehicle or home obtained through connected services, Kirobo Mini can provide more-caring comments, such as: "That was a long drive. Good job." or "Welcome home! A warm bath is waiting."*

*Function scheduled to be available for vehicles that can use the Kirobo Mini-compatible T-Connect service and through the TSC-HEMS service provided by Toyota Home Corporation.

Specifications

• Seated height/weight 10cm/183g
• Continuous communication time Approximately 2.5 hours
• Battery charging time Approximately 3 hours

Production Plant

VAIO Corporation*

^{*Main business: Personal computers; located in Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture}

Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price

Tentative price 39,800 (excluding tax) (Monthly fee of approximately 300 yen for use of dedicated app.)For more information, videos, please visit: http://newsroom.toyota.co.jp/en/detail/13786975/

After an impressive 18 months on board the International Space Station, humanoid communication robot Kirobo returned to Earth as a passenger on SpaceX's CRS-5 Dragon cargo supply spacecraft which successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean earlier today.

For more please visit: http://newsroom.toyota.co.jp/en/detail/6035471/

The conversation, the first of its kind between a human and a robot in outer space, represents the latest development in the Kibo Robot Project, a joint research project carried out by Dentsu, RCAST, Robo Garage and TMC. JAXA is also providing extensive assistance.

Experiment content:

1. Autonomous conversation using voice recognition technology

2. Communication with people on Earth

Extract from the conversation experiment (translation)

Wakata: How did you get out here into space, Kirobo?

Kirobo: On the Kounotori* from Tanegashima Space Center.

Wakata: Right. So you came here on the Kounotori?

Kirobo: Not the bird, of course! A rocket.

Wakata: It's incredible that you came here all by yourself.

Kirobo: Well, I'm a robot!

*Name of the H-II Transfer Vehicle used with the H-IIB Launch VehicleFurther conversations will be held, and conversation logs and other data will be utilized by the project participants. The key aims of the project are to facilitate the coexistence of humans and robots, and to explore possible future deployment of communication robots in outer space.

Kirobo's basic specifications

Dimensions: Height: 34 cm, Width: 18 cm, Depth: 15 cm (approx.)

Weight: 1 kg (approx.)

Language: Japanese

Main features: Voice recognition, natural language processing, voice synthesis, telecommunications functions, gestures, facial recognition camera, recording camera

Key project developments to date

Nov 29, 2012 The project is announced public begins proposing robot names.

Jun 26, 2013 Kirobo and ground crew member Mirata are completed and publicly introduced.

Aug 4, 2013 Kirobo leaves Japan for the ISS aboard the Kounotori 4 transfer vehicle

Aug 10, 2013 Kirobo arrives on the ISS.

Aug 21, 2013 Kirobo speaks his first words in outer space:

"On August 21, 2013, a robot took one small step toward a brighter future for all."

Future project plans

Dec 2014 Kirobo scheduled to return to Earth.

Kibo Robot Project website: http://kibo-robo.jp/en/

Twitter: @kibo_robo (Japanese language only)

Kirobo's space mission started in the early hours of August 4 with the successful launch of H-IIB Launch Vehicle No. 4 from Tanegashima Space Centre in Japan. Sitting on top of the launch vehicle was Kounotori 4, a Japanese cargo vehicle containing the 34cm robot. After six days in orbit, Kounotori 4 was expertly plucked from space by the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) using the station's robotic arm.

Later this year, between November and December, JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata will arrive on Expedition 38 to become the first Japanese astronaut to assume command of the orbiting space station. Once on-board, at an orbiting altitude of some 400km about Earth, Commander Wakata will take part in the first-ever conversation held between a human being and robot in space. The planned conversation will take place in the Japanese Experiment Module, nicknamed "Kibo" after the word for "hope" in Japanese.

Kirobo and his earth-bound mission counterpart, Mirata, are two humanoid communication robots developed under the Kibo Robot Proejct, a joint research project between Dentsu Inc., University of Tokyo's Research Centre for Advanced Science and Technology, Robo Garage Co., and Toyota Motor Corporation. The project is also extensively assisted by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Toyota Motor Corporation provided the robot's voice recognition software. The company plans to use experience gained from the orbital experiments to improve its Partner Robots and other interactive conversation technology.

Watch the full launch and Kirobo's first words in space: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvzh3-p0FQQ

For more information, visit the Kibo Robot Project website: http://www.kibo-robo.jp/en/

Provisional Mission Timeline (updated)

###

The Winglet, created with the aim of contributing to the development of a society where mobility is safe, freely accessible, and fun, is a next-generation mobility robot that offers users outstanding operability and performance that expands the user's world, with a compact size and ease of use suited to modern living environments.

The trials, scheduled to run until the end of March 2016*, are aimed to verify the safety, functionality and convenience of the Winglet so it can be used on public sidewalks in the future. This year, emphasis will be placed on verifying safety, and National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) personnel and Tsukuba municipal employees will assess operational safety and compatibility with pedestrians and other traffic by using the Winglet on sidewalks to commute to and from work and when going out during working hours. 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.

Tsukuba is designated as the Tsukuba Mobility Robot Experimental Zone, and Japan's first personal mobility robot testing on public sidewalks has been conducted there since June 2011, with more than 7,000 km of travel logged to date. With the start of the Winglet trials, TMC hopes to contribute to the development of Japan's personal assistance robot industry and the realization of mobility-robot use on public thoroughfares. In light of its designation as an International Strategic Zone and as an environmental model city, Tsukuba is promoting innovation for the creation of a low-carbon society. TMC and Tsukuba believe that the Winglet trials will be highly significant in the development of mobility-robot-using communities with low environmental impact.

Overview of 2013 Winglet Trials

*Unless otherwise noted, years mentioned are from April 1 to March 31.

Video of the Winglet in use in the Tsukuba Mobility Robot Experimental Zone http://www.toyota-global.com/company/video_news/tech/

The Winglet consists of a body (with a projected area the size of an A3 sheet of paper) that houses an electric motor, two wheels and internal sensors that constantly monitor the user's position and make adjustments in power to ensure stability. Meanwhile, a unique parallel link mechanism allows the rider to go forward, backward and turn simply by shifting body weight, making the vehicle safe and useful even in tight spaces or crowded environments.

TMC has created three models, the "L", "M" and "S", each having different handling features that allow consumers to select a model appropriate to their needs—from "practical" to "hands-free sporty".

TMC plans various technical and consumer trials to gain feedback during the Winglet's lead-up to practical use. Practical tests of its utility as a mobility tool are planned to begin in Autumn 2008 at Central Japan International Airport (Centrair) near Nagoya, and Laguna Gamagori, a seaside marine resort complex in Aichi Prefecture. Testing of its usefulness in crowded and other conditions, and how non-users react to the device, is to be carried out in 2009 at the Tressa Yokohama shopping complex in Yokohama City.

TMC is pursuing sustainability in research and development, manufacturing and social contribution as part of its concept to realize "sustainability in three areas" and to help contribute to the health and comfort of future society. Toyota Partner Robot development is being carried out with this in mind and applies TMC's approach to monozukuri ("making things"), which includes its mobility, production and other technologies. In a related development, TMC unveiled the "MOBIRO" mobility robot, designed for use in a sitting position, in 2007.

TMC aims to realize the practical use of Toyota Partner Robots in the early 2010s by furthering its robotic development and strengthening collaboration between industry, government and academia.

Outline of Winglet Model "S" "M" "L"

Length (mm) 265265265

Width (mm) 464464464

Height (mm) 462680 1,130

Weight (kg) 9.9 12.3

Maximum cruisingspeed (km/h) 6

Turning radius (m) 0 (able to rotate within its own space)

Cruising range* (km) 5 - 10

Charging time1 hour (full charge)

*Varies with surface condition and user weight

The mobility robot, which is capable of autonomous movement over uneven ground and around obstacles, provides transport in places where people usually walk the violin-playing robot, equipped with a total of 17 joints in both of its hands and arms, uses precise control and coordination to achieve human-like dexterity.

Toyota Partner Robots are envisioned to assist people in four main fields: 1) domestic duties, 2) nursing and healthcare, 3) manufacturing and 4) short-distance personal transport. To this end, TMC's primary developmental focuses are on technology that works in harmony with people—such as that for assistance devices that can help move heavy instruments in a factory, on mobility technology for autonomous movement, on full-body coordination for walking and jumping and on tool manipulation. The two robots presented today represent advances along these lines, with the mobility robot demonstrating achievements in field 4) and the violin-playing robot demonstrating achievements in fields 1) and 2).

Also, TMC announced today that it aims to realize practical use of Toyota Partner Robots in the early 2010s by furthering its robotic development and strengthening collaboration among industry, government and academia.

TMC, to help make future society healthy and comfortable, is pursuing sustainability in research and development, manufacturing and social contribution as part of its "three sustainabilities" concept. Toyota Partner Robot development, which involves TMC's approach to making things—including its mobility, production and other technologies—is being carried out with this concept in mind and has thus far resulted in the various entertainment robots presented at the Toyota Group Pavilion during the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, as well as in a tour-guide robot that began operation earlier this year at the Toyota Kaikan Exhibition Hall at TMC headquarters in Toyota City, also in Aichi Prefecture.

TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced today that it has developed a tour guide robot that will escort visitors around the various displays of Toyota Kaikan Exhibition Hall in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan from August 27.

The newly developed tour guide robot is equipped with autonomous movement capabilities for avoiding obstacles and with jointed fingers, allowing it to sign autographs. The robot is also able to interact with visitors through a combination of verbal communication and gestures.

TMC is applying its mobility and manufacturing technologies, as well as its approach to making things, to developing Toyota Partner Robots that will support people in their daily lives and to help create a healthy and comfortable society in the future. Toyota Partner Robots performed at the Toyota Group Pavilion during the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi. Since then, TMC has been committed to the continuous development of these robots, focusing on the four areas in which they can be of the most use to humans: assistance with domestic duties, assistance with nursing and medical care, assistance with manufacturing and assistance with short-distance personal transport.

TMC plans to incorporate what it learns from using the tour guide robot at the Toyota Kaikan Exhibition Hall to further improve and develop its robots.

Media Tour

Persons interested in attending an August 27 media showing at Toyota Kaikan Exhibition Hall should contact Paul Nolasco/James Corbett at the Corporate Communications Department of the Public Affairs Division, TMC (Tel.: 03-3817-9161/9170).