2005 Toyota i-Swing

You might suspect that Toyota is instigating a sexual revolution with its recent concepts, the vaguely phallic i-unit and the free-loving i-swing, but the i-swing is merely the latest in a long line of wacko, single-seat personal vehicles, following the Pod (2001), the PM (2003), and the aforementioned i-unit (2005). At low, walking-type speeds, the i-swing rides tall and upright on two wheels. When you're in more of a hurry, it sits down lower, stretching its low-resistance urethane body out and riding on three wheels. It can also tilt through corners (like a Tokyo pizza delivery scooter) and lean back and do wheelies. The last time we came across a swinger that could stretch, lean back, and get down, Richard Simmons was on Jazzercize. Creepily, Toyota claims the i-swing also uses artificial-intelligence communication to enable it "to grow" and learn the habits and preferences of its owner and store relevant data about him or her. If you're going to have a stalker for a vehicle, it may as well be liberated and fit.

Последствия старения нации японцы намерены побороть с помощью роботизации тяжелого, непрестижного труда. В этом робо-мире средствам передвижения вроде i-swing – самое место. В своем третьем с TMS’2003 воплощении мобильный электрический стул лишился четвертой точки опоры. Более того, i-swing на «пешеходных» скоростях обходится парой колес (носовое втягивается внутрь платформы), удерживая равновесие благодаря гироскопу. Настроение хозяина отражают символы и цвета на наружных светящихся дисплеях i-swing. Чем бы они пестрели у нас?