Toyota Highlights Autonomy and Inclusive Design

If you have never been to an auto show in Japan then you have missed the unique cultural phenomenon of the Japanese auto industry’s near obsession with providing creative solutions for drivers with disabilities. Every show I have been to in Japan – actually a short list – has included vehicles with some of the most amazing accommodations for wheelchairs.

Japan is a hotbed for automotive tinkering generally and Toyota’s announcement of plans to open a Silicon Valley office dedicated to a $1B project focused on artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles and the needs of an aging population signals the exploration of a critical frontier in the self-driving car segment. Tesla’s autopilot is pretty cool, but there are far more practical applications for autonomous vehicles.

Globally, the automotive industry is divided between emerging markets – where sales and population growth coincide – and developed markets – where experts think demand for cars will be mitigated by an aging population and the emergence of ride/car sharing services. I am skeptical that the demand for vehicles will diminish in any markets with insufficient public transportation, but the aging population in developed markets is highlighting the need for new kinds of vehicles – particularly as the 80+ demographic segment emerges as the fastest-growing category of new car buyers.

With octogenarians emerging as an important target market the automotive industry will be changing its design priorities.  Toyota may lead the way.

This rapidly growing demographic will place demands on the auto industry for new kinds of design thinking – referred to as inclusive design. A friend of mine, Jim Mueller, works for the Shepherd’s Center of Western Fairfax, a local chapter of the national Shepherd’s Center, a volunteer organization focused on the needs of the aging. He puts the quandary (opportunity) this way:

“Access to personal transportation continues to be central to independent living for seniors, as well as for employment for working-age people with disabilities. These are large and growing markets worldwide, yet ignoring them as potential customers is not uncommon among developers of new technologies.

“As these technologies mature, it becomes increasingly difficult and costly to retroactively include them. This problem is a primary driver of universal design in the U.S. and abroad, where it's also called inclusive design, design for all, etc.

“It's no secret that unemployment among working-age people with disabilities is still very high, even 25 years after passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Lack of accessible transportation is among the primary reasons. (I serve as a volunteer driver for a local free transportation service for people unable to overcome the challenges in our mass transit system, as well as the challenges of DC-area traffic - demand is VERY high).

“Access to personal transportation for people who are blind, deaf, or with a variety of other physical or mental limitations could dramatically improve employment for people with disabilities, as well as broaden their options for independent living.

“To be clear, this is not about creating parallel ‘special’ technologies, but rather incorporating the same sort of universal/inclusive design thinking that makes buildings and products more useful for customers of all ages and abilities. After all, how many of us pulling our carry-on luggage through airports prefer ramps to stairs? How many of us carrying groceries prefer door levers to knobs? How many of us prefer texting over voice phone calls, just as deaf people do? These are just a few of the more obvious examples of universal design.

“Applying this sort of inclusive thinking in the early development of new technologies improves the usefulness and marketability to the widest possible range of customers. It's not only the most human approach; it's also the best business strategy.

“It's an exciting opportunity for the auto industry.”

I couldn’t have put it better myself, Jim. All eyes will be on Toyota and the MIT AgeLabs and all organizations taking on this opportunity.