Toyota Designs uBox 3D Printed Dash Concept Sports Car.
Toyota is considering the future of car ownership with its recent idea, the uBox, which it made in collaboration with graduate students at Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Research.
The carmaker imagines uBox customers as entrepreneurs and members of "generation Z" - the vehicle is intended to be fluid, transforming from a recreational vehicle into a kind of mobile office by means of an interior.
Not just that, Toyota has also done its bit for the environment with its hybrid Prius rides that have done rather well inclusive, and here we are with a Toyota uBox concept car that will target the next generation, sporting a 3D-printed dash in order to stamp up the appeal factor.
Some are the features released in Press Release:
- A bold, youthful and distinctive exterior design that aligns with generation Z's personality trait to stand out, embodying a muscular stance that looks like it's sprung forward in motion, even when standing still.
- A versatile interior that can be rearranged for various activities, from working or operating a business, to hauling bulky cargo. A low floor allows for reconfigurable, removable seats on sliding tracks that can be nested.
- Vents, dashboard display bezels and door trim that can be personalized and made with 3-D printing technology, and an online community for owners where they can share design ideas.
- A compact, dual-purpose, all-electric powertrain providing a fun driving experience and emission-free stationary energy to power consumer electronics, power tools or other devices through various 110-volt sockets located throughout the interior and exterior.
Owners would have the capacity to modify the vents, door trim and dashboard display fixtures with 3D printing, plus there would be an online center for people to share their designs. The uBox has a curved glass roof and 110-volt sockets along the within and outside of the vehicle so Gen-Z-ers can power their electronics, as well.
“The roof pultrusion was something unexpected and very interesting when they first started talking about the concept,” said Payne. “The fact that they were able to achieve an industry-first manufacturing technique as students speaks volumes for this program.”
“The collaboration with Toyota was extremely fruitful,” said Paul Venhovens, endowed chair for automotive systems integration at CU-ICAR. “The Toyota management team constantly challenged the students with justifying their design and engineering decisions based on brand essence, real-world customers and what the students believed the future would embrace. This experience can simply not be gained from a text book.”