The Tritown concept model. Source: Yamaha Motor
Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. and Yamaha Motor Corp. USA have announced plans to exhibit five models, including four new concepts, at CES 2019, the world's largest consumer electronics show.
Perhaps the most intriguing is the company's public personal mobility (PPM) concept. Billed as a "people service system," the PPM is based on low-speed autonomous driving and passenger-cargo shared usage. It is designed for short-distance travel and offers a simple construction that could be used for transport of passengers and/or cargo, or further converted into a mobile sales kiosk.
In conjunction with the PPM display, a variety of mobility service applications such as AI-based facial recognition registration and vehicle-to-passenger communication will be showcased. In this context, a passenger is able to control an onboard "AI conductor," while the conductor is tasked with controlling vehicle stop and start through passenger gestures. Demonstrations of the technology in action will be given on dedicated paths adjacent to the show venue.
In addition, the Yamaha booth will also feature:
- The company's next-generation concept model for industrial-use unmanned helicopters, which features a long-range flight and a 70 kg payload — double that of the latest model. Updated flight controls add capabilities such as collision avoidance, flight stability in atmospheric turbulence and terrain-following flight for mountainous areas. Potential applications include aerial delivery, measurement, inspection, aerial photography and surveillance.
- The debut of Yamaha's new design for its Tritown concept model, a lightweight, compact electric personal mobility vehicle for last-mile travel. The device features a two-front-wheel mechanism that the company has dubbed the Leaning Multi-Wheeler (LMW).
- Niken, a long-range motorcycle featuring the same LMW mechanism, was launched in 2018 and is currently in production. The Niken features an 845-cubic-centimeter, liquid-cooled in-line three-cylinder engine.
- A concept installation of artificial intelligence technology developed by Yamaha Corporation, the music and audio company with which Yamaha Motor shares the Yamaha brand.
CES 2019, the world's largest consumer electronics show, runs from January 8 to 11, 2019, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
