Toyota wants to take us on a journey inside a hamster ball

“What is that? Incredible!” Toyota unveils a futuristic sphere straight out of a science fiction movie

From autonomous cars to flying devices, bringing science fiction into reality is a bit of a secret dream for many engineers. At Toyota, this dream takes shape within the Toyota Engineering Society, founded in 1947 to allow its 20,000 members to improve their skills while contributing to society. Each year, a theme is chosen to push creativity a little further.

In 2023, they already amazed with the Toyota Miraidon, a futuristic motorcycle straight out of the Pokémon universe. In 2024, the theme, “What is that? Incredible!“, inspired them to imagine an unusual object: a spherical mobility device in which a person can sit, as if suspended in a glass bubble.

The principle? Similar to the well-known hamster bubble that enthusiasts of these small rodents use. Inside the sphere, a motorized cart runs along rails, rotating the sphere itself to make it move forward. It all looks like a device straight out of a manga or an adventure movie.

It’s crazy, but it works!

When Toyota Times News started following the project in June, it was still just a small prototype that malfunctioned after a few laps. Four months later, engineers managed to build a two-meter sphere capable of carrying a passenger. A significant challenge, partly achieved with the support of Shinshi, a company specializing in plastic panels for aquariums.

Even at Shinshi, they admit that the project was not easy. But through polishing, when perfect transparency was finally achieved, the magic happened. In October, the sphere was presented to the public, and over 200 people lined up to try it out. Toyota assures us that no one vomited and that everyone left with a smile on their face.

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