Toyota: Ditch the Tablet, Use the Window?

One thing we can say is, mini TV screens hanging from the ceiling of the car will soon be a thing of the past. The designers and engineers of Toyota Motor Europe (TME) in partnership with the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction and Design (CIID) have come up with a new vehicle concept that turns the windows of your vehicle into an interactive interface called "Window to the World."

The advancements in augmented reality make it possible for passengers to access information about the objects in view. This seems to open up the endless amount of possibilities that interactive technologies have for passengers of all ages.

Imagine being able to gain access to information about landmarks, like distances, or children using it as a learning tool. Those are just a couple of ideas the TME's Kansei Design Division have in store us.

With the futuristic technologies advancing faster than some of us can wrap our heads around. TME and CIID have developed five concepts for Toyotas "Window to the World" that are sure to entertain and educate.

• Drawing in Motion – using the car window as a canvas, passengers can draw, using their fingers, and see the images integrating with the outside world as the vehicle moves along.

• Zooming into captured moments in time – the window becomes a screen for passengers to zoom-in on outside objects to see it in a brand new perspective.

• Translating the world in a local language – passengers are exposed to new languages and cultures as they can select elements outside the window and receive a real-time translation in a local language.

• Augmented Distances – pinpoint landmarks in the distance and the window will augment the relative distance to the car on the window surface.

• Virtual Constellations – the car’s panoramic roof displays virtual constellations and information about them with the actual sky as a background."

The Kensei Design Division will no doubt surprise us in the future with relative and innovative technologies. The automotive world is gets a real treat with this technology and can only leave us to wonder what tomorrow has in store for us. The Kensai Design Division, being a main player in Toyota's European Research and Development group, play a huge part in vehicle development. This team will be an integral part of the development in the long term goals of Toyota and Lexus.

Want to know more about Toyota's Window to The World? Check out the full press release here!

Also, check out the Window to the World in Action