BOB CARTER REMARKS: 2017 CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW

Good afternoon, everyone! I am so happy to welcome you to the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show.
 
But before I begin to tell you about what we have at the show this year I'd like to acknowledge and welcome Tomoyama-san, Sr. Managing Officer, TMC. Thank you, Tomoyama-san for joining us today.
 
Now, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t share our 2016 sales results:
 
The industry ended with a best-ever December and best year with 17.5 M sales, exceeding 2015 and the 7th consecutive year of growth. Notably we've seen the car-truck mix move from 50/50 to 37/63 over the past three years, demonstrating the shift to SUVs and trucks is real.
 
Toyota Motor Sales sold 2.45M vehicles in 2016.The Toyota brand was the #1 retail brand for the 5th consecutive year and, for the 15th consecutive year, the Camry was the no. 1 selling vehicle in America.
 
Lexus had its 2nd best year in its 27-year history.
 
OK, let’s get to it. Toyota has an amazing floor display this year that we are really proud of. You’re going to get a first look at Entune 3.0, our next-generation telematics system. We’re also showing off Smart Device Link. It’s a platform for app developers to connect smartphones with vehicles. I encourage every one of you to stop by and have a look.
 
But today, we’re going to do something a bit different. We’re going to introduce you to a really special concept vehicle. And why is it so special? Because with all the talk about advances in automobile technology, it’s easy to lose sight of why we make cars in the first place. They’re for people. And at Toyota, we think the important question isn’t whether vehicles of the future will be equipped with automated or connected technologies. Of course they will. The important question is this: what will be the relationship between those vehicles and the people who use them?
 
Will it be cold? Robotic? Sterile? Tool-like? Technology on wheels and nothing more? Or will it be warm and friendly? Engaging? Immersive?
 
Because cars have always done more than just get us from point A to point B. They are our home on wheels. We connect with them. We build an emotional relationship.  And thanks to our research into advanced artificial intelligence, we think that the future of the automobile is a vehicle that can connect with us right back.
 
Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce you to the advanced artificial intelligence system we call “Yui.”
 
[TO YUI:] Say “hello”, Yui.
 
YUI: HELLO YUI.
 
[TO YUI:] Very funny.
 
Yui learns from us,  grows with us, and builds a relationship that is meaningful and emotional. What does that mean? Yui learns our preferences and our lifestyle; remembers where we like to go; pays attention to when we’re happy or sad.
 
[YUI SCANS BOB, PULLS UP INFO AND BIOMETRICS]
 
And helps in ways that are big and small, anticipates our needs and improve our lives.
 
YUI: IS EVERYTHING ALL RIGHT, BOB? YOU SEEM STRESSED
 
[TO YUI:] What did you expect, Yui? I’m on stage giving a speech to all these people.
 
YUI: COME ON, BOB. WHY DON’T WE DO SOME BREATHING EXERCISES?
 
[BOB TAKES A FEW DEEP BREATHS]
 
[TO YUI:] Thanks, Yui. Much better.
 
[TO YUI:] But what are you still doing up there on the screen?
 
You’re supposed to be down there so I can let everyone see this amazing car!
 
[YUI “JUMPS” OFF SCREEN AND ENTERS THE CONCEPT – I]
 
Say hello to the Toyota Concept-I. First of all, this car is gorgeous. I want to recognize and congratulate CALTY Studio Chief Designer Ian Cartabiano, and Chief Engineer Makoto Okabe,
and their teams for the amazing work they’ve done to bring it to life.
 
But it’s more than just a pretty face. The CALTY team developed a concept called Kinetic Warmth. It’s a design philosophy that guided every element of Concept-I’s creation beginning with artificial intelligence.
 
It follows from our belief that the vehicle of the future shouldn’t start with technology it should start with the experience of the people who use it. And so we built the Concept-I from the inside out, focusing on making it immersive, warm, and energetic.
 
With assistance from the Toyota Innovation Hub in San Francisco, the interior of the vehicle is designed to help support that user experience. Lines flow from the center of the dashboard throughout the vehicle, and Yui can travel around them, using light, sound and even touch to communicate critical information.
 
There’s an amazing 3-D, head up display to help keep the driver’s eyes and attention on the road, but information also appears like magic on the dashboard, the walls, seats wherever you need it, when you need it.
 
Even the exterior of the vehicle is about building the relationship between the car and the world around it, communicating with others on the road while expressing motion, excitement, and even a little bit of magic.
 
But this isn’t just a design story. For years now, we at Toyota have said that we need to look beyond the driver-vehicle interface to focus on the driver-vehicle relationship. Thanks to Yui, the Concept-I is built to enhance that relationship. This is a vehicle that grows with you. The more you drive, the smarter Yui gets. It learns to anticipate your needs. And that intelligence is about more than just planning your route. Yui uses sophisticated biometric systems to monitor the driver’s attention and emotions, and can help determine when to trade off control of the vehicle between automated and manual driving, depending on the conditions.
 
With Yui and the Concept-I, the car and the driver work together as teammates. And this is a team you’re going to want to be a part of. It’s FUN.
 
The Concept-I is kinetic, exciting, and passionate. And thanks to the Concept-I’s advanced automated driving technologies, it’s a car that people with all levels of ability are going to be able to experience. And that’s what it all comes back to: using technology to help people in ways that are big and small, in and out of cars.
 
Now, the Concept-I isn’t going to be on the road tomorrow. We still have an awful lot of work ahead. But guess what folks, we will be evaluating  many of the Concept-i’s features and technologies on the roads in Japan within the next few years. I can’t wait.
 
Now, it’s my pleasure to introduce someone  who can tell you about what we’re doing to make this amazing vision of the future a reality. Please welcome the CEO of the Toyota Research Institute, Dr. Gill Pratt.