irishcar.com

12 March 2002: Put away your prejudices. Take a journey into the near future with Toyota and p.o.d – a car that thinks, talks, smiles…. and yes, even cries, with you.

Star of last year’s Tokyo Motor Show, p.o.d was presented in Europe for the first time at Geneva. Developed in conjunction with Sony Corporation, p.o.d is a technological showcase that points the way to the future when there will be a new relationship between cars and people.

p.o.d is associated with the concept of a cocoon – a protective shell which gently envelops and protects family members. Therefore p.o.d is a people mover that involves and transports its occupants with the excellent levels of safety, comfort, commodity and entertainment.

p.o.d’s 'intelligence' allows it to learn the driving style of its owner and the type of roads he/she usually takes, adapting itself accordingly to each situation. For instance, if its owner prefers a sportier driving through winding roads the p.o.d can figure it out and will choose a harder suspension setting and the auto gearbox will also cope with a more performant use. This feature allows the driver to take full advantage of modern vehicle dynamics systems, without having to deal with upsetting buttons or controls. By the other way, if the driver chooses a relaxed driving the p.o.d will reward its passengers with a comfortable ride and better fuel consumption.

The p.o.d constantly monitors and records the driver’s driving style and compares it to the performance of an experienced driver. From then on, p.o.d can either warn or praise the driver sending messages to the centre monitor.

There are two types of display monitors in the interior: one centre display and four personal displays (one for each seat). The centre display monitor can be used to display communal information related to the operation or use of the car. The personal displays are used for individual selection of music and video software.

On listening to its passengers’ conversations, p.o.d can display information related to the topics discussed or change its navigation route. The navigation system initially chooses routes according to the driver’s preferences and when there is a delay on the estimated time of arrival the driver is informed. It can also take pictures of things the passengers find interesting and display them later.

p.o.d has four individual seats designed to allow passengers to communicate together. For example, each seat will turn to face the doors for easy entry, or they can face each other for a welcoming atmosphere, family meeting or picnic. Of course, when driving, they all face forward like a normal car.

Each of these seats incorporates its own display where each passenger can listen to their favourite music or video. Each headrest is equipped with a full range speaker and a super tweeter. Furthermore, subwoofers have been installed under each seat and vibration transducers have been incorporated into the seat backs and cushions. The sound from speakers is focused so that each passenger can listen to different music without disturbing each other.