The City of Tsukuba (Tsukuba) in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan and Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) are to begin public sidewalk demonstration trials tomorrow of the “Winglet,” a TMC-developed personal transport assistance robot ridden in a standing position. The trials, to be conducted in the Tsukuba Mobility Robot Experimental Zone, are the first for the Winglet on a public thoroughfare.
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.
Equipment: Winglet Long Type, 8 units
Trial period: July 24, 2013–March 31, 2014
Participants: A total of approximately 80 National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology personnel and Tsukuba municipal employees
*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
Science and Technology Promotion Division, City of Tsukuba (Council of Robot Experimental Zone administration office)
Contact: Tsuyoshi Okubo (+81-29-883-1344)
Public Affairs Division, Toyota Motor Corporation
Tokyo: Japanese media: +81-3-3817-9111 to 9116, non-Japanese media; +81-3-3817-9161, 9929
Nagoya: +81-52-552-0603 to 0608
