Healthy Mobility
A Product Service System concept proposal introducing a new meaning of cars and mobility in Japan.
INTRODUCTION 4 1.1 Introduction to the module 1.2 Concept abstract
SENSING 6 2.1 Defining our perspectives on mobility 2.2 Japanese perspective on mobility 2.3 Toyota’s perspective on mobility
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT I 10 3.1 Results from the sensing 3.2 Initial PSS idea
MID-TERM PRESENTATION 12 4.1 Concept video (part I): a new meaning of mobility 4.2 Concept video (part II): the bike-center scenario
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT II 14 5.1 A research “boost” 5.2 Mobility in relation to the elderly “Sense of fulfillment” 5.3 Mobility in relation to city areas and elderly conditions 5.4 Mobility and the car industry: future perspectives 5.5 Wrapping up: insights for the final concept 5.6 Key points of the final PSS proposal
FINAL PRESENTATION
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6.1 Final concept video
REFERENCES / INFO
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INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction to the module The module “Activating your innovation radar” revolves around Product Service System (PSS) [Baines, 2007] design and “radical innovation” [Norman, 2012]. The former is a kind of design that considers products as part of a larger system where the relationship and interaction between products, services and the respective stakeholders are defined. The latter is a special kind of innovation that, instead of being incremental, is groundbreaking due to either technological breakthroughs or introduction of new meanings within a certain context. The teams in the module were asked by real clients to develop an innovative PSS concept for mobility and elderly care, starting from theories and frameworks related to radical innovation. Our team worked for the japanese car manufacturer Toyota, which gave the challenge to “Develop a vehicle that makes you healthy”.
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1.2 Concept Abstract Here we present a short abstract of our concept, which will be explained in detail in chapters 2 to 5: “Healthy Mobility” is a new mobility ecosystem commissioned by Toyota for the japanese urban environment. Designed to tackle issues such as the side-effects of urbanization and the lack of access to mobility solutions for the elderly, this concept proposes a whole new way to look at cars. Cars should no longer considered the nemesis of health and environment, but as an essential part of our physical, social and emotional wellbeing. In this envisioned system, the team transformed the meaning of mobility into freedom and enjoyment of life, enabled by self-driven electric vehicles that we call “Bubbles”. An elderly person doesn’t even need a driver’s license or a car; he/she can simply use his smartphone to call a “Bubble” which will pick up and bring him/her to the desired destination. The person can either travel alone (“Private bubble”), or with his friends (“Social bubble”). During the trip the traveller can download all sort of service packages and games for the car through his smartphone. For example, he can relax using the Zen package, or get an instant health check-up while being comfortably seated. Finally, since city centers will be closed to cars, the “Bubbles” come with access to a free bike rental service. The bikes are in “Cycle centers” which are next to the Bubble parking lots. This is a win-win solution, since cities will suffer less from pollution and traffic jams, and Japanese people (both elderly and not) will finally enjoy the pleasure and health benefits of mobility. Also, Toyota will gain a completely new revenue stream from the services offered.
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SENSING 2.1 Defining our perspectives on mobility Our design process began by embracing one the methods for radical innovation: the “Sensing” technique. The Sensing technique consists in following one’s intuition and passion, and making meaningful reflections. The team applied the technique by “looking with fresh eyes” at the context of mobility. We ventured out, wandering through the surroundings of the university, and let the surroundings inspire us on what mobility truly meant to each team member. These ideas are captured in short movies, explaining the meanings we found, such as:
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• Mobility as a “social moment” / chance to meet new people (social) • Mobility as a tool carrying what is truly important to you (meaningful) • Mobility as a game-like adventure and exploration (fun) The next step was to link these meanings to our individual visions as designers in order to transform the meanings into something that spoke to each designer personally. We did this using a map where we collected both the meanings / insights from the sensing, and the main elements characterizing our visions as designers. This included designing for sustainability, creating necessary innovation, and enabling social connection. By viewing the full picture and abstracting the key elements, we created our own, shared perspective on mobility:
Mobility doesn’t have to be a hassle. It has to be a moment of enjoyment of life, both alone and with your close friends. It must also minimize our impact on the natural environment.
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2.2 Japanese perspective on mobility From our new perspective on mobility we set the next step, namely sensing the Japanese perspective on mobility. We consulted several papers in order to base our decisions on current facts and trends. In particular, these papers: “An Attitude Analysis of Elderly People toward Mobility and Community” (Okayama and Sawai, 2009) and “Mobility in Japan 2030”(Kasioumi) and “The making of urban Japan: Cities and planning from Edo to the Twenty-first century” (Sorensen, 2004) .From these papers we found a number of trends (see the red box on the right). After discussing and evaluating these trends, we could conclude that cars will be kept out of the city centres, which will be replaced by walking and cycling. Also since the Japanese people are aging, and they are more likely to continue working after being retired. It is very important for the elderly to improve mobility in the rural areas to keep them a part of society. In order improve mobility in the rural area a highly networked neighborhood can be created to realise shared mobility. In addition to this, when following the assumption that there will be a decreased use of private cars, other methods of transport and travelling need to be considered and eventually improved. Since private transport will especially decrease, mobility will be need to be shared by people.
• Japan developed itself during the twentieth century from a largely rural country, with approximately 15% of its population living in cities, to one of the most urbanized countries in the world with close to 80% urban population. As a result, Japan now consists of highly populated densities and a mixture of different land uses in central city neighbourhoods with tight-knit urban communities. This results in busy and noisy surroundings. • Many of the rural areas in Japan have suffered from depopulation and population aging. This aging will increase in the future, which means the percentage of people that can’t drive a car will also increase. • Older Japanese men and women are more likely to continue working after 65 years than older men and women in Europe or the United States. (Okayama, 2009) • Half of the area of Japanese metropolises contains a mixture of land uses: planned (main commercial centers) development surrounded with large areas unplanned (mixed residential-commercial-industrial districts), which contain a wide range of different uses and facilities. A spontaneous urban change occurred which has lead to urban intensification and eventually urbanisation (Sorensen). • Japan holds one of the world’s best and most heavily travelled rail system which stretches out over the Tokyo area, allowing fast and safe travel. Despite having an efficient transport system, increased motorisation, due to urbanization, has lead to road congestion. • The assumption is made that there will be a limited use of private cars, which means people are more likely to walk, bike,us a scooter or use the regional train to get to their destinations. As part of a decreased use of private cars, mobility will be shared therefore public transportation systems will be computerized and also will bicycles be available for everyone. (Kaisoumi)
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2.3 Toyota’s perspective on mobility Toyota Motor corporation is a multinational automaker, employing 325,905 people worldwide and is the eleventh largest company in the world by revenue. Headquartered in Toyota city, Aichi (Japan) it started from creating automobiles in 1934, including the brands Lexus, Daihatsu, Hino motors and several non-automotive companies. Toyota operates under a philosophy called “The Toyota way” (2001), aiming at quality, constant innovation, respect for the planet, and to enrich life with the safest and most responsible ways to move people. This philosophy is expressed in the next five principles: challenge, Kaizen (improvement), Respect, Teamwork and Genchi Genbutsu (go and see). On the right we described the current core activities of Toyota which we derived from the article “Toyota Motor Company company profile”. Toyota already has an idea of a next generation of vehicles where “cars, homes and people are linked”. Environmentfriendly vehicles will play an important role and Toyota is already launching electric and hybrid vehicles to support this idea. However, issues lie in charging batteries which will lead to a higher power demand. Therefore a new infrastructure needs to be developed which controls this power demand, which is called the “Toyota Smart Center”. This is a connection between a (smart) home, phone, vehicle and the Smart Centers which control everything. In general, Toyota is facing the challenges of making mobility sustainable, which are listed in several goals as part of the sustainability report from Toyota Global Society “Toward Sustainable Mobility” , Environmental & Social Report 2005 by Toyota global. “The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a coalition of 170 international companies from more than 30 countries, united by a shared commitment to sustainable development via the three pillars of economic growth, ecological balance and social progress. The organization is involved in policy development and contributes to a sustainable future from a global perspective.
• “Making clean cars”: to reduce greenhouse gases such as CO² for example, Toyota developed vehicles with cleaner emissions and higher fuel efficiency such as the Prius Plug-in Hybrid car, and created an environmental friendly production and logistics platform. Another aim is to help realize a recycling-based society through the achievement of a 95% vehicle recovery rate. • “Pursuing a multiple approach to safety”: toyota has developed several systems in traffic and in vehicles to enhance the safety of the driver and the environment. To support safe driving Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) are systems that support safe driving inside the car. To reduce traffic accidents VehicleInfrastructure Cooperative systems (VICS) are promoted by Toyota, by means of the ITS Spot service for example, which is an application that supports safe driving via traffic communication. • “Bringing Toyota quality to the world”: Toyota incorporates local consumer tastes by means of developing interior and exterior designs under the lead of local designers and engineers. Also engineers are involved from an early stage in the vehicle development with designers, production teams and suppliers to build up plans that enhance good quality. One of Toyota’s fundamental concepts is manufacturing on the ‘consumer first’ principle, by means of “Jidoka” and “Just-In-Time” which are based on prompt delivery and low costs. Another interesting initiative is that Toyota is ‘Bringing the Joy of Mobility to Everyone’ (Company profile, Toyota), by the development of the “Welcab”. It is a vehicle adapted to wheelchair users which allows them to drive comfortably and keeps them mobile. • “Diversifying Toyota”: Toyota used its technologies and knowledge gained from the automotive business in new businesses to enhance the quality of life such as housing (ecofriendly smart house), e-TOYOTA (integration of IT services with automobiles), PONAM (Marine engines). • “Being a good corporate citizen”: And as part of gaining trust and respect from the citizen, Toyota has several programs with activities for contributing to society such as the Toyota Automobile Museum, Toyota Foundation for research projects, Traffic safety education and many more.
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Toyota has been a member of the Council since its founding. The Sustainable Mobility Project (SMP) was launched as an initiative by twelve automotive and energy companies that are members of the WBCSD with the aim of outlining a vision of a society based on sustainable mobility. Toyota has participated as co-chair of the project.� In the overview of the challenges they are facing with SMP, important facets are described such as the impact of economic growth, transport, environmental changes and transport services. But in this model the demographic and societal changes are not taken in consideration.
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CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT I 3.1 Results from the sensing Following the results of the sensing as a whole, we proceeded to use the insights as a base to create a new system, and a new role for cars within it. Below we described the main findings from the sensing before explaining our initial PSS.
• Individual Sensing From our individual sensing we found that mobility can also be a moment of enjoyment of life. It can either be a place to meet other people or a private space for yourself. • Sensing the company Toyota is aiming at enhancing the quality of life environment-friendly solutions. But as it is now they are concentrated on the automotive business, but do have side-initiatives growing towards a system for example that catches the higher power demand for eco-friendly vehicles, and platforms for IT services inside the vehicles. • Sensing the target group The Japanese society will grow older as we noticed, which means that if mobility stays the way it is now, this group of people will have difficulties staying mobile, and being part of society. The use of private cars is becoming less and shifting to biking or walking, and there is a stream of people moving from the suburbs to the urban areas which will become even more densely populated.
3.2 Initial PSS idea We combined these 3 points by designing an initial PSS where we explored ecosystems with emphasis on the shift of meaning of a car. Namely: from mobility to a healthier lifestyle. For the initial PSS we explored ecosystems in the present time where the car plays a distinctive role as a healthy platform. As we searched for healthier ecosystems we thought of a car as a health coach where we make use of objects already present in a car such as the drivers chair. For example, the drivers chair can have sensors that measures the body posture of the driver and the steering wheel can have sensors for counting the heartbeats per minute. By combining the data from the sensors a car can keep track of ones health and react on that by subtle stimulation of a healthier lifestyle. So instead of mobility alone, a car can also function as a health coach to stimulate a healthier lifestyle. However, we believed that stimulating a healthier lifestyle was not merely a case of measuring one’s health and give feedback on that. We believed it was also about enabling the users of this ecosystem to take healthier actions. Therefore we thought of having a cycling centre in the ecosystem. At the cycling centre people can park their car and switch over to bicycle to enter the city centre. Not only does the cycling centre provide a place to park your car and take a bicycle, it also facilitates a central social meeting place where people can meet. And by having the ability to send the data received by a bicycle (such as the amount of kilometers you cycled) to your car, one is able to keep track of their progress. Other interesting aspects we thought of was having the ability to relax in your car, for example by installing what we called a “Zen package”, which could control for example light, audio and air conditioning devices in your car to create the right atmosphere for meditation, providing guidance as well. Altogether it should be clear that we explored an ecosystem in the present time, where the car is a product in a larger ecosystem. Within the car one can install different services such as the health coach or the Zen package. Also the system consists of other stakeholders such as Gazelle for the distribution of bicycles.
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MID-TERM PRESENTATION 4.1 Concept video (part I): a new meaning of mobility In order to communicate our initial PSS we made a video which shows a first person view on the various touch points within the ecosystem. In addition we made a video that explained or vision on mobility and the new mobility concept. The first movie starts with an explanation about what mobility is currently considered as being, and how the mobility ecosystem is changing. Mobility is nowadays seen as means of transport from A to B. This becomes a serious issue due to urbanization (people primarily moving to the main cities), as the drastic increase in population results in overcrowding, traffic, noise, pollution, and car accidents. Toyota is already making progress with many of these issues by introducing hybrid cars, toyota smart centers, traffic communication systems (ITS) and the WELCABs for the disabled. The issue with this scenario is that the traffic jams and parking problems will continue to get worse with more cars. An ideal situation is one where cars are not in the city. This is actually a growing trend in many countries, as the cities are slowly becoming blocked off to walking, bicycle and public transport only. This is considered a healthier way of living by most, and there is an increasing interest in healthier living. But without cars, this ecosystem is a scary situation for Toyota as a car manufacturer. Our team actually saw this as a “golden” opportunity for Toyota. All it needs is a change of perspective. The demographics of most countries (and most certainly Japan) is becoming a lot fuller above 65+ years of age. These elderly do not want to be put in homes, as they want their independence, but they will also no longer be working. This, combined with a need for healthier and more social living, provides mobility (and the car) a new meaning. To conclude this first video, our team said that Toyota needed to play an important role in this future generation. Toyota has change it’s current perception on “Mobility” and also change the current ecosystem to one where the car is a meaningful part of a healthier ecosystem. All this is needed to make Toyota the “Leader of a future healthier generation of mobility”.
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4.2 Concept video (part II): the bike-center scenario The second movie follows a user of the future Toyota ecosystem through a couple of interesting key points. The user in this case is a 67 year old man named Patrick who is heading to town. He lives in a suburb outside of town and therefore needs a car. Patrick leaves his home to head into town, and starts his route with a bicycle, which is unlocked by his thumbprint. This thumbprint is needed as the bicycles are shared bicycles and they also keep track of all the movement data of Patrick. This movement data is important as a tool to keep track of Patricks daily exercise routine. Patrick cycles to the edge of his suburb, where he can park his bike in the shared bike slots. After locking his bike, Patrick can select one of the cars in the parking lot and unlock it with his mobile phone. This car is also shared, and the phone acts as a unique key and service installer. The services can be anything from in-seat massage systems, health monitors, seat heating or GPS guidance (etc.). These services are all already in the car, but you must have paid for these services in advance, and have them linked to your account before you can make use of them. Patrick has the health monitor service installed to keep track of his bicycling distances. After driving the distance from the suburb to the city, he stops at the bicycle/car shared parking for the city (called the cycling center). The car is only for the distance between the cities and suburbs. The inner city and suburb are negotiated by bike. At the cycling center, Patrick has agreed to meet his friend and cycle to work together. At this stage of the video, Patrick is interviewed about his reasons for using the cycling center and if it has to do with the new “Toyota service�. Here he explains how he has the package for physical health installed in his car. His friend then interrupts to say that she uses the platform for a zen package which she has installed in her car, and also because the cycling center is a great meeting spot and she likes to cycle to work with her friends.
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CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT II 5.1 A research “boost” Following the client meeting and the feedback received, we decided to take a step back and go through the process we followed so far. We realized that despite the good starting points, we had to sharpen the concept and give it a more concrete and understandable shape. Moreover we needed to strengthen our research on the users and context. We wanted to do extra research because we felt we were relying too much on assumptions and we needed a more solid base to design from. Hence we collected several papers and articles related to japanese elderly life and habits, also in relation to mobility. These papers helped us better understand the context, the issues these people face, and the role that mobility can play. 5.2 Mobility in relation to the elderly “Sense of fulfillment” The first paper we analyzed was “Can Improved Mobility Raise the Elderly’s Sense of Fulfillment?” [Ieda and Muraki, 1999], which tries to understand the relation between transport (both public and private) and the elderly’s outdoor activities, and how the frequency of these activities affect their “sense of fulfillment”. Despite the “age” of this research, we believed that it contained insights that might be useful now as well. A short summary of the outcome of this research:
• Elderly people need mobility for a sense of fulfillment. The more frequent their trips, the higher the sense of fulfillment will be, especially in the case of “nonnecessary” trips such as meeting friends, doing sports and going to the city center for shopping or other personal needs. • When mobility is related to “necessary trips”, such as getting to hospital, this linear relation between sense of fulfillment and frequency of travel is totally reversed. The more frequent the trips to the hospital, the lower the elderly’s sense of fulfillment will be. This means that we should work on enabling the Japanese elderly to move wherever they want to go.
• Increasing mobility will therefore increase the vitality of the elderly: they will feel more and more fulfilled if they are enabled to move freely and easily through the city. This should be done by improving accessibility to public transport and by adapting car design and infrastructures to suit elderly users. • Besides car use, another rising trend is the use of bicycle by elderly people that do not possess a driver license. It is therefore recommended to promote the use of these vehicles, and not just in areas with poor public transportation but everywhere given their flexibility and low environmental impact.
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£°Ê /," 1 / " 5.3 Mobility in relation to city areas and elderly conditions -ORE THAN OF THE *APANESE POPULATION IS OR Another very interesting paper we analyzed was “Mobility Devices OVER WITH THE NUMBER INCREASING AND CERTAIN TO EXCEED or the Elderly, ‘Silver Vehicle’ Feasibilityâ€? [Kamata and Shino BY 4HE NOTION OF AN AGING POPULATION CONJURES 2006] which assessed the acceptance and feasibility of lowIMAGES OF AN INCREASED DEMAND FOR NURSING CARE BUT THE performance electric vehicles for the elderly. From this document we observed how the researchers divided the urban environment RATIO OF THOSE REQUIRING SUCH CARE IS ACTUALLY LOW n THERE ARE in Japan, respectively in Town Center, Central Area, Neighbouring MANY hACTIVE SENIORS v 1UALITY LIVING CONDITIONS AMONG Area and Surrounding as shown in the table below. WHICH MOBILITY IS OF Area, PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE ARE CRITICAL This was a very useful reference given the large scale of the PSS FOR ENABLING THE HEALTHY ELDERLY TO LEAD ACTIVE LIVES we were designing for. It allowed us to understand the context, 5NTIL NOW THE ELDERLY HAVE GENERALLY BEEN CONSID and define our intervention more precisely. Take for example the ERED VULNERABLE ROAD USERS FEW OF WHOM WERE LICENSED TO “Surroundingâ€? area (5-10 km away from the center), which can be DRIVE AUTOMOBILES !S THE NUMBER OF ELDERLY DRIVERS GROWS associated with the “Suburbsâ€? in Mr. Kato presentation. According HOWEVER TRAFlC A MORE PRONOUNCED to both the paper,ACCIDENTS and Toyota’sBECOME data, public transportation is relatively poor or infrequent in these areas and people mainly PROBLEM AND THE ISSUE OF WHEN TO GIVE UP DRIVING MORE rely on cars"ECAUSE to move within andOF outDEMENTIA of this area.COMPOUND The paper adds IMPORTANT ISSUES THE that this is a huge problem for elderly people. If public transport is PHYSICAL DETERIORATION THAT ACCOMPANIES AGING AND BE difficult to access and all the mobility is car-based, the “inability CAUSE GIVING UP DRIVING CAN MEAN GIVING UP INDEPENDENT to secure personal mobility will make it difficult for the elderly LIVING A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH IS REQUIRED THAT CONSID to remain in the community in the futureâ€?. Similar conclusions ERS BOTH ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION AND MODIl apply to the “Neighboringâ€? area (2-3 km from the center) which “Also has many current residents but automobile transport is a CATIONS TO THE LIVING ENVIRONMENT prerequisite. Public (buses) is unprofitable and runs !GAINST THIS transportation BACKDROP THE AUTHORS HAVE PROPOSED
AN ALTERNATIVE MOBILITY DEVICE FOR USE BY THE ELDERLY WHEN DRIVING ORDINARY AUTOMOBILES BECOMES A CHALLENGE AND CONDUCTED VARIOUS RELATED STUDIES SUCH AS lELD TESTS RELAT ING TO TOWN PLANNING 3UCH EFFORTS ARE DETAILED IN PREVI OUS REPORTS WHILE THIS REPORT DESCRIBES THE AUTHORS SUBSEQUENT EFFORTS
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#HARACTERISTICS OF THE ELDERLY AND FUNCTIONAL of ‘compact city’ ideal if able to shake free of automobile REQUIREMENTS OF THEIR MOBILITY TOOLS dependence and promote life zone town planning�. 4O LOOK AT THE ISSUE OF ELDERLY MOBILITY AND TRANS From the same paper we also learned how to categorize elderly PORTATION IN REGIONS WITH POOR ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPOR people in relation to mobility. They are ranked, respectively, from being “unable to walk�, “able to walk limitedly� and “able to TATION WE CONDUCTED AN INVESTIGATION OF THE CHARACTERISTICS walk freely� (Active seniors). These categories helped us narrow OF ELDERLY RESIDENTS OF 4 4OWN IN !KITA 0REFECTURE 4HE down the target group and identify it better. The paper concludes INVESTIGATION WAS DIVIDED INTO THREE SECTIONS A LIFE SITUA by essentially stating that the core of the problem are the elderly TION INTERVIEW EVALUATION BY A PHYSICAL THERAPIST AND A living in surrounding areas due to the lack of public transport and TEST OF DRIVING SKILLS USING BOTH ACTUAL VEHICLES AND PER high chance of accidents among old drivers. The authors believe SONAL COMPUTERS "ECAUSE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN 2EFER that improving public transport is a waste of funding and it would be better to prepare a “low-speed� environment dominatedTRENDS by ENCE THEY ARE OMITTED HERE BUT WE OBSERVED electric vehicles that suit the elderly physical characteristics CONSISTENT WITH AN AVERAGE DIMINISHING OF ABILITY DUE TO (“Silver vehicles�), together with bicycles and electric scooters AGING AS WELL AS SOME OTHER SPECIlC CHARACTERISTICS 4HESE (for those that are more physically capable). Finally, the authors WERE USED TO DElNE THE FOLLOWING SEVEN FUNCTIONAL RE support the idea of creating “Compact cities� with low-speed QUIREMENTS OF MOBILITY DEVICES APPROPRIATE FOR USE BY THE areas, where “All the functions necessary for daily life could be ELDERLY located in a roughly 2 km radius of the town center within which roads except trunk roads would carry mixed SV and regular sall 3LOW SPEED OF TO KM H automobile traffic traveling at low speeds. Creating differential %ASE IN GETTING IN AND OUT sparking policies for regular automobiles and SVs could %ASE OF OPERATION sencourage to switch to SVs and improve the environment.� s 6ERY SMALL SIZE FOR EASE IN HANDLING s $RIVER SUPPORT SYSTEMS s 3HORT RANGE APPLICATION AND s 3AFE COMFORTABLE TRANSPORTATION ENVIRONMENT 0ROPOSING THE hSILVER VEHICLEv CONCEPT AND EVALU ATING A PROTOTYPE 4HE FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS FROM THE PREVIOUS SEC
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Japanese Automobile Industry and Automobile Industry Policy October 26, 2010
Shigeaki Tanaka Director, Automobile Division, Manufacturing Industries Bureau Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
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5.4 Mobility and the car industry: future perspectives The final document we analyzed was a presentation titled “Japanese Automobile Industry and Automobile Industry Policy”, from Shigeaki Tanaka, Director, Automobile Division, Manufacturing Industries Bureau Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. This document links the state-of-the-art “Clean” vehicles in Japan (from hybrid vehicles, to fuel cell and clean diesel ones), with the current car sales, and oil crisis; tracing detailed roadmaps for their implementation. Here is a summary of the main findings / insights:
• There is a strong interest in developing eco-friendly but demand needs to be created first. As a result, the authors propose to use taxation policies as a tool to promote the adoption of these vehicles, in synergy with educational programmes and demonstrations. • The environmental aspects of eco-friendly vehicles are mainly reduced to better manufacturing processes, components recycling and high-performance batteries. • The authors claim that the future of car industry competition will be based on battery performance: “Most of the next generation vehicles are equipped with high-performance, large-capacity battery. Therefore it can be said that battery is situated in the core of competitiveness of the next generation vehicles.”
5.5 Wrapping up: insights for the final concept The insights we collected in this final “research boost” led us to the following conclusions and reasoning:
• We observed that whatever the trend of mobility is, the ability to move around the city positively affects the sense of fulfillment of the elderly people (Ieda and Muraki, 1999), especially if they are able to go wherever they desire to go (leisure-related mobility). So in this sense, mobility itself can increase the “emotional” health of the elderly. • We discovered that the largest mobility issues relate to the elderly in the outskirts of the city (surrounding area / neighboring area). The lack of public transport or the poor physical conditions of the elderly forces them to either stay isolated from the center, or to use their cars, exposing them to accidents due to age-related impairments (Kamata and Shino 2006) . This opportunity led us to adapt our concept to this particular situation and target group. • We noticed that there is interest in creating low-speed environments by gradually converting people from cars to bicycles, electric scooters and electric vehicles specifically designed for the elderly (Kamata and Shino 2006) . This validated our initial idea of creating bicycle centers and reminded us of the possibility of working on electric vehicles as well. • By examining car industry roadmaps for the future, we realized there is, and will be, a strong focus on the introduction and promotion of incrementally “greener” vehicles (hybrid / fully electric / fuel cell / clean diesel etc.) and in the future the competition will be centered on increased efficiency, better batteries and cleaner fuels (Tanaka, 2010).
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• While self-driving cars or fleets are also envisioned, there is no mention of car-sharing or changing in the ownership: it’s all based on the “Business-as-usual”, giving every individual a private car that pollute less, totally ignoring the environmental footprint of actually building the cars itself. However both the current trends, highlighted in paragraph 2.1, and the future visions from researchers and governmental town planning, see the city centers and neighboring areas free of cars (regardless of how “clean” they are), thus putting Toyota in a difficult position as a car manufacturer. Starting from these last trends (cleaner vehicles / self driving / car-free cities), we projected our initial concept in a more distant future and decided to take a very “daring” stance: in 2030 cars will be indeed “cleaner”, for instance fully electric, but they will be owned by Toyota itself, shared by people and designed for low-speed traveling within the city.
5.6 Key points of the final PSS proposal Considering upcoming trends in Japan such as urbanization,increasing numbers of elderly, and the need of living healthier lifestyles; we tried to design an ecosystem that correlates with these trends. Moreover we looked at technological trends such as self-driven vehicles and we tried to adopt this to enrich our PSS proposal. As described earlier, the value of a car changes because when a car becomes a self-driven vehicle, other meaningful things can be done in a car. For example one can install various services within the vehicle which results in a vehicle that adopts to one’s preferences and individual interests. So even though vehicles are not owned by person anymore it still can feel personal and private. For Toyota this new ecosystem means that they will shift from a car manufacturer to a service provider where the car will be a service platform within this ecosystem. To summarise the important points for Toyota: Why a new ecosystem? Considering the upcoming trends in Japan there is little room for cars in the future. That is, for cars as they are in the present time. By realizing a new ecosystem Toyota can stay a leader in innovation for mobility in the future. What does Toyota need to do? Changing the meaning of mobility and a car. If cars become self-driven vehicles in the future the valuable time spent in a car can be used for other meaningful things. The car can become a rich and personalised service platform. Toyota can initiate partnerships with other stakeholders, such as service providers for applications in the car, because the car functions as a service platform for other stakeholders as well. How can Toyota do this? Changing the current ecosystem where the car will be a part of. To do so, Toyota needs to shift from a car manufacturer to a service provider where Toyota stays the owner of a car. Therefore people will not pay money for a product but for making use of the system and the services.
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FINAL PRESENTATION 6.1 Final concept video What follows is the transcription of the final concept video. It starts with the same description of demographics in Japan and the problems that mobility and Toyota are facing. It then goes on to explain that these problems open up an opportunity for Toyota, who already are leaders in mobility innovation. The video then explains the teams concept for future mobility and strengthens this point with two scenarios of different system users going through some of the systems key interest points. The video is concluded with a value proposition for Toyota and a new catchphrase for Toyota’s future vision on mobility. Important to Note: Not clearly stated in the video is the part explaining that Yuro’s car drives itself onto a train platform, essentially transforming from private transport to public transport. The private car, or bubble, drives on the main roads to the nearest public transport connection, where it locks into the platform to become a personal carriage. In this way, emissions and congestion are removed. This can occur between any number of public transport platforms, making the distance from the house to public transport to the city almost non-existent. This is the most important point when dealing with elderly who need Toyota as a service for mobility: “On november the 12th Toyota confronted us, four students from the Technical University of Eindhoven, with a big challenge. Considering the quick aging of the japanese population, the need for greener cities and a healthier lifestyle; the question that arises is, how can Toyota develop a vehicle that improves our health condition and, in particular, for the Japanese elderly? We started by taking a look at Japan. Japan is known for it’s sprawling and densely populated cities which are ever growing by urbanization. People are massively moving from the suburbs to the central areas, which results in excessive traffic, pollution, noise and car accidents. This results in cars not being able to get into the city center any more, so more people are taking public transport (such as trains). But these are often fixed on tracks, which is very inconvenient for people who have to change transport mediums often. Since the age category of people of 65 and older is increasing in size, elderly people will have even
more difficulties being mobile and staying active in society. Because of these busy city centers, it looks like people are not willing to use the car anymore. Cars will be seen as impractical, and probably also unhealthy, modes of transport. This looks like a big problem for Toyota. But is it such a problem? It’s actually a golden opportunity. How? Well, if we want to solve this problem, we have to change our view on mobility. We can do this by changing the meaning of a car. But let’s first take a look at what Toyota is doing right now. Toyota has already developed technologies to make traveling more convenient, such as the Prius hybrid car for cleaner emissions, ITS traffic systems for a safer traffic environment and the welcab vehicle for bringing mobility to the disabled. However, these are not enough when considering the changing society and it’s needs. What society wants is to live healthier lifestyles, stay social and stay mobile. These current mobility solutions are developed for either public or personal transport systems what we need is a combination of public and personal in one. A new eco-system, where this vehicle is a part of. So now we present you with our idea. Let’s imagine it is 2030. In this new ecosystem, no cars are allowed in the city centers anymore, leaving room for cycling and walking. Most vehicles are not owned by one person anymore, but they still are private because they adapt to one’s personal needs as part of shared mobility. Let’s have a closer look at the journey of two people going through some interesting touch points in this new ecosystem. Meet Yuki. She is 67 years old and lives in the outskirts of Tokyo. Today she wants to go to the main city hall in the city center to run some errands, so she calls her private bubble to take her there directly without changing transport. Yesterday, she received an invitation for her monthly health check-up, so she activates the health coach in the bubble. It measures her body posture, and blood pressure, and this information is directly sent to the doctor. When the bubble arrives at the main parking place, she changes to biking and goes directly to the marketplace. And this is Yuro. He is 70 years old and lives outside of Tokyo. Until now he was unable to get to the city center in an easy
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way, where he works as a volunteer in the hospital. Luckily, he has his one-person shared bubble, which he calls to takes him to the hospital directly. Yuro likes to relax and get in balance before he arrives at work. Therefore, he plugs in his mobile device and activates the Zen mode. Meanwhile his bubble get’s into the mainline of the center ring together with the other bubbles. When he reaches the nearest bike point to the hospital, he changes to bicycles and arrives at the hospital. A quick overview. This new ecosystem consists of self-driven vehicles that can reach every place, so changing transport is not needed anymore. When one gets into the car, you can activate different modes according to personal preferences by your phone. So, you can have either your privacy moment, share the morning route with others, or get updated with the news while traveling.This way, time traveling won’t be wasted time, but a part of our daily lives. Also, physical activity will be stimulated by the increased use of bicycles, because the endpoints of the vehicles are right next to the Toyota bicycle centers. What does this mean for Toyota? Toyota will not only be producing vehicles anymore, but will provide a complete service. Other stakeholders can also be part of this system, by providing services. For example; the free bicycles, a meditation package inside the vehicle, or the health service. This health service provides the passenger with a health checkup during the drive, from which the captured information can directly be sent to doctors and insurance companies. This can prevent health issues in an early stage because people get an automatic daily health check-up. So, for the future of mobility, we see the role of Toyota as a car manufacturer shifting into a service provider together with other stakeholders, to provide our society with a new vehicle that is a platform for a healthier ecosystem. “
SOURCES
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INFO
REFERENCES
INFO
1.1 Introduction to the module [Baines, 2007] Baines, T.S. et al., (June 2007), ‘State-of-the-art in product service-systems’.
Team Dounia Bourjila (d.bourjila@student.tue.nl) Gabriele Tempesta (g.tempesta@student.tue.nl) Patrick Leijte (p.n.c.leijte@student.tue.nl) Rhys Duindam (r.j.duindam@student.tue.nl)
[Norman, 2012] Norman, D. and Verganti, R., (March 2012), ‘Incremental and Radical Innovation: Design Research Versus Technology and Meaning Change’. 2.2 Japanese perspective on mobility [Okayama and Sawai, 2009] ‘An Attitude Analysis of Elderly People toward Mobility and Community”, Okayama, Sawai (2009) [Kaisoumi] “Mobility in Japan 2030” , Kaisoumi [Sorensen, 2004 ] “The making of urban Japan: Cities and planning from Edo to the Twenty-first century” , Sorensen (2004) 2.3 Toyota’s perspective on mobility “Toyota Motor Company - company profile”, By Toyota “Toward Sustainable Mobility” , Environmental & Social Report (2005), Toyota global. 5.2 Mobility in relation to the elderly “Sense of fulfillment” [Ieda and Muraki, 1999] Ieda, H. and Muraki, Y. (1999), Can Improved Mobility Raise the Elderly’s Sense of Fulfillment?, Japan Railway & Transport Review, VOL. 20, pp. 14-21, EJRCF 5.3 Mobility in relation to city areas and elderly conditions [Kamata and Shino, 2006] Kamata, M. and Shino, M. (2006), Mobility Devices or the Elderly, ‘Silver Vehicle’ Feasibility, IATSS RESEARCH, VOL. 30 NO.1, pp. 52-59 5.4 Mobility and the car industry: future perspectives [Tanaka, 2010] Tanaka, S, (2010), Japanese Automobile Industry and Automobile Industry Policy, Pdf slides, Ministry of Economy
This project was part of the Master module ‘Activating your innovation radar’ given by MSc Ehsan Baha and dr.Yuan Lu at the Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands.