Toyota Launches the i-foot Mobility Robot
Published: Jun 20, 2007Toyota will showcase its new mobility vehicles at the Expo 2005 in Japan with the theme, “The Dream, Joy and Inspiration of Mobility in the 21st Century.” One of the new vehicles is the “i-foot” - a walking and stair-climbing exoskeleton robot with a passenger seat.
The 2-legged, mountable robot was developed by Toyota for three-dimensional mobility and the ability to navigate staircases. The passenger climbs on and drives with a joystick. The egg-shaped design of the “i-foot, “ which wraps around the passenger, is meant to express the dream of future three-dimensional mobility and the feelings of safety and reliability upon which that dream is built.
The ability to mount and dismount comfortably was of primary consideration in the design of the bird-like legs, which bend toward the rear. Steering and speed of the “i-foot” is controlled with a joystick, a fun form of driving different from that of conventional forms of mobility.
Two years ago, Toyota announced that it was going to develop a humanoid robot designed to help factory workers and provide assistance in nursing care and rescue operations in the Expo of 2005. This new robot can help factory workers conduct physically demanding work and provide assistance in nursing care and rescue operations. Early indications suggest that the “i-foot” and other partner robots will be either humanoid in form or will feature a more vehicle-like design.
Source: Toyota
