Ever thought of one Minority report-style world where you can interact with technology by simply pointing at things? Well, Lexus wants to make that a reality… in your car.
The Japanese brand showcased some fantastically futuristic concept cars at this year’s Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo, with each car offering a glimpse of the kind of in-car technology we can expect from the brand in the coming years.
One of the most interesting is the Reality in Motion2 system, powered by Toyota Group’s upcoming advanced Arene operating system, which it claims will take in-car personalization to the next level.
For example, it has the ability to mimic the handling, sounds and vibrations of different types of cars, allowing the driver to tailor the experience to their personal preference. Additionally, the aforementioned Reality in Motion2 system allows drivers to simply point at objects, businesses or landmarks outside the vehicles and access further information. Like you’re googling something with your finger.
According to Lexus, on-board sensors work together with digital data from the car’s environment. “For example, when drivers point to objects or places of interest during their journey, the car’s display provides instant information along with voice guidance, improving the interactive connection between people and their car,” Lexus said at the Japan Mobility Show.
What’s the point?
This may all sound like a flight of fancy, but Lexus continues to develop the technology, and some journalists were lucky enough to get a sneak preview of it in action last month in Tokyo.
According to Autoblogone of the outlets invited to demonstrate the technology, Lexus engineers “demonstrated these features on a test track in a parking lot at a Toyota test center outside Nagoya.”
How did it go? Well, according to Autoblog, the device “generally did what Lexus says. Whether you’re in the driver or passenger seat, you can point out the window, say the wake word or phrase, and it will identify the point of interest. “
This has the potential to greatly reduce driver distraction behind the wheel, as it removes the temptation to pick up the smartphone when you don’t know the name of a nearby business or landmark.
Instead, instead of diving into Google Maps, locating the business and then retrieve the data. We will watch with interest how this develops.