Big in Japan: The Nissan Pivo2 can pivot on a dime

by Matthew Firestone on

This week (and last), Big in Japan will be bringing you scenes from the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show (???????????????????????) at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City.

For an overview of this biennial event, check out Scenes from the Tokyo Motor Show. For all of you road warriors out there, don’t miss A look at the future of motorcycles.

Do you love concept cars? So do I.

In case you’re wondering about all of the crazy concept cars that are being highlighted at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, check out the new Nissan Pivo2, which easily steals the spotlight.

According to Nissan, this environmentally friendly, electric-powered urban commuter car features a cabin capable of rotating 360 degrees, which is perfect for drivers with a fear of parallel parking.

The Pivo2 also caters to futurists out there with the introduction of ‘intelligent life form design,’ which is intended to revolutionize the interaction between car and driver.

Have I peaked your interest yet? Keep reading for more on this unbelievable concept car.

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Adhering to its mantra of ‘Always enjoyable, everywhere convenient,’ the Pivo2 was designed to meet the specific needs of the urban commuter. The signature feature of the Pivo2, which was inherited from the first generation, is its revolving cabin.

Thanks to its variable geometry system dubbed Metamo, the revolving interior of the Pivo2 means that the driver can always face forward while driving, even when parallel parking or leaving a front-in parking space.

As a result of the disk-shaped traction motor housed in each wheel unit, the Pivo 2 can also be maneuvered in ways that would be difficult for an ordinary vehicle. With the ability to control all four wheel units independently, the Pivo2 can actually move sideways, which is advantageous when you’re negotiating parking lots and congested streets.

In regards to safety, the Metamo system also contributes to the overall performance and safety of the Pivo2. For instance, the system automatically controls the position of the wheels according to driving conditions in order to equalize the overall load.

The coolest aspect of the Pivo2 is its intelligent life form design. Basically, Nissan believes that a vehicle can also evoke feelings of affection, creating actual partner relationships. As a result, the Pivo2 employs a robotic agent (RA) that actually talks and listens to the driver.

Seriously!

In addition to providing information needed for driving, the RA can actually infer the mood of the driver, and respond with the appropriate emotion. The RA accomplishes this task by scanning facial gestures, and analyzing the tone and pitch of the driver’s voice.

The engineers at Nissan hope that this interactive interface will put the driver in a calmer frame of mind, which they believe will result in safer driving. They also hope that the RA will forge feelings of trust and affection between the car and driver.

Awesome. I mean, I’ve named every car I’ve ever owned, but none of them actually knew mine!

For more scenes from the Tokyo Motor Show, tune in tomorrow for another installment of Big in Japan.

For photos of the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, check out the gallery below:

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Photo of the Day (11/10/07)

by Justin Glow on

Even though it’s nearly impossible to take a bad photo of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, I’d still like to congratulate Gadling reader pixelskew for snapping this amazing shot. It’s so perfectly symmetrical, the only way you can tell it’s not just half of an image doubled over is by looking at the crowd of people at the base of the mausoleum. Just as impressive is the sky, which gradually changes from blue to pink to white to green. Magnificent. Pixelskew also gets bonus points because I was there not even a week after this picture was taken, back in December of 2006.

If you’d like to contribute a Photo of the Day shot for consideration, please visit our Gadling Flickr pool and upload your favorites.

Big in Japan: The future of motorcycles is awesome

by Matthew Firestone on

This week and next, Big in Japan will be bringing you scenes from the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show (???????????????????????) at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City. For an overview of this biennial event, see the previous posting Scenes from the Tokyo Motor Show.

Do you love motorcycles? So do I.

In case you’re wondering about the future of motorcycles, check out some of the latest Yamaha designs to come out of the Land of the Rising Sun.

One of the coolest concept bikes on display at the Tokyo Motor Show was a 4-wheeled hybrid motorcycle known as the Tesseract (??????????????????). This truly wicked looking quad features a unique dual scythe suspension system that allows the vehicle to turn like a motorcycle. The hybrid power comes from a liquid cooled V-Twin engine as well as an electric motor.

Have I peaked your interest yet? Keep reading because I’m just getting started.

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The Gadget (ガジェット) is an electric moped with a collapsible design that can be easily stored with minimal fuss. Other unique features include a power source that can be turned on via your cell phone or through the internet.

A fierce-looking custom built street bike, the WR250X offers a revolutionary ultra-high rpm single-cylinder engine (10,000 revolutions per minute).

The entire frame is also constructed of aluminum, which makes for quick, aggressive handling and the perfect balance for busting out some truly sick tricks – just don’t wipe out!

The XS-V1 Sakura (XS-V1 桜) is aimed at mature riders looking for a blend of retro-design and modern efficiency.

Lightweight and slim, this deceptively simple looking chassis hides a 1,000cc V-Twin engine.

The chic racing machine straight out of the bizarre realm of Japanese anime, the LUXAIR is both a hybrid motorcycle and an incredible piece of eye candy.

The LUXAIR is powered by a liquid-cooled engine and an electric motor that are joined by a YIPU (Yamaha Integrated Power Unit).

During acceleration, the gas engine provides the bulk of the power, though idling and cruising is driven by the electric motor.

And finally, one of the most exciting products for the environmentally conscious consumer, the FC-Dii is an incredible fuel cell-powered motorcycle.

Featuring the Yamaha Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC), the FC-Dii is driven by a 54% methanol solution with an efficiency of over 30%.

The bike also features a removable second battery that can be recharged from an external power source.

Since all of these models are concept bikes, it is very unlikely that any of these products will be available for purchase.

However, there is a good chance that some of the design elements described above will start to appear on the market in the near future.

With that said, I think you will all agree with me in saying that the future of motorcycles is awesome.

For more scenes from the Tokyo Motor Show, tune in next Monday for another installment of Big in Japan.

And of course, to all of the riders out there in the world, here’s to open roads, blue skies, cool breezes and the journey ahead.

For photos of the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, check out the gallery below:

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New Chinese Architecture: the “Wild East”

by Iva Skoch on

China’s rise as an economic power has prompted daring feats of construction; China’s getting known as the “Wild East” when it comes to this new construction. And they’re putting up new buildings at a tremendous pace: some 10,000 new structures in all, particularly with next year’s Olympics coming. I certainly witnessed it in Shanghai-Pudong a couple years back.

But now take, for example, the new, $800m, China Central Television Tower in Beijing, designed by Rem Koolhaas. Daring to defy the requirement that all skyscrapers point up, Mr. Koolhaas designed one that loops back on itself. The main feature: it’s got an overhang that’s an amazing 11 stories tall, 250 ft. above the ground. The building will be the world’s second-largest office building, after the Pentagon.

It’s now reaching a very precarious moment: the two halves of the building are being joined soon, according to the WSJ. First, it’s in an earthquake zone, so they had to test a three-story replica on a quake-testbed to make sure it’ll last because it’s like stacking two bridges together. Second, the two halves lean on each other so much that they must join the final pieces at dawn, so that the sun’s heat won’t distort or expand one half more than the other. I just hope the thing holds up.

Batman begins filming in Hong Kong

by Grant Martin on

Good news everyone. Christian Bale is still Batman, Chris Nolan is still in charge of the franchise and the sequel to Batman Begins just started filming in Hong Kong.

I know. Forget about the DJIA, crude oil and the trade deficit and breathe a sigh of relief. All is well in the world.

After you’re done with that ’72 Meritage that you’ve been saving for a special occasion, swing by Hong Kong and take part in some of the Batman-inspired ruckus, including, as our colleague over at travelhappy reports, traffic stops, noise and general chicanery.

And while you’re at it, enjoy one of Southeast Asia’s hottest destinations where the dollar is still strong (gasp!), most people speak English, the mountains shoot straight out of the sea and public transportation is fluid. More to come on Hong Kong hotspots — stay tuned ;)