PREVIEW

A futuristic utopia nestled at the base of an active volcano is gearing up to welcome its first inhabitants in what's being billed as a groundbreaking 'mass experiment.'

Conceived by automobile giant Toyota, Woven City is located mere miles from Japan's iconic Mount Fuji and has been under development since 2021.

The city is envisioned as a 'living laboratory' where Toyota plans to pilot its cutting-edge renewable energy and autonomous vehicle technologies, known as 'e-palettes'.

The first 2,000 residents are set to move in by the end of the year as part of an £8 billion study to understand patterns in driver and pedestrian behaviour.

Once inside the town, the participants will live inside stunning new "smart homes" running almost entirely on hydrogen making the city as eco-friendly as possible.

Each residence will be kitted out with solar-panel rooftops, AI tech to monitor health inside the home and all vehicles and buildings will be connected through data and sensors, Toyota boss Akio Toyoda explains.

Constructed largely from wood, the homes will incorporate robotics to aid in daily activities, fostering greater independence among the inhabitants.

Toyoda said, "Building a complete city from the ground up, even on a small scale like this, is a unique opportunity to develop future technologies..."

He added, "With a fully connected ecosystem of people, structures, and vehicles all interacting through integrated data and sensors, we can rigorously test connected AI technology across both virtual and tangible domains, optimising its capabilities."

The city layout includes three distinct street types: pedestrian zones, lanes for high-speed traffic, and areas catering to slower, mixed-use mobility.

Strictly zero-emission vehicles will navigate the streets, with special provisions for the elderly and wheelchair users.

Blueprints show the experimental city's grid-like shape with natural open spaces to promote social gathering in the space-age town.

The car brand has commissioned Danish architect Bjarke Ingels - whose previous projects include the Two World Trade Centres, the Lego House in Denmark and Google's Mountain View.

Ingels noted, "Emerging technologies are profoundly altering our urban experiences and the ways we traverse our cities. Autonomous, connected, emission-free, and shared mobility options are poised to unlock unprecedented urban living possibilities."

Toyota will move 2,000 'lab rats' into the Woven City, ranging from families to retired couples and retailers to scientists before more residents will be invited to join.

The site of the new-age experiment is at the foot of Mout Fuji - an active volcano that last erupted 300 years ago.

While it's been some time since its last blast, experts fear a full-scale eruption could be devastating.

Government data suggested that in the event of an eruption, ash would likely fall for two weeks leaving residents unable to receive supplies and forcing 26 million to evacuate.