Toyota's i-unit Personal Mobility Concept
by Justin Thomas, Virginia 
on 09. 6.05
Woah, a Flash Gordon driving suit may be obligatory with this one. The "i-unit" is a "personal mobility" concept vehicle by Toyota. Specially created for the launch of EXPO 2005 in Aichi, to reflect the environmental theme. Toyota, perhaps straining for a natural metaphor, says the open "i-unit" design is inspired by the leaf. They say it "converts sunlight into life energy, seeks to express the power of the unknown, the logic of living things and the simple beauty of waste-free functionality." The body is built using environmentally friendly plant-based materials such as kenaf.
The "i-unit" is intended to offer personal mobility in an ultra-compact size with variable positioning, enabling the passenger to move among other people in an upright position in low speed mode. A low center of gravity that ensures stable handling when the vehicles recline in high speed mode.
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