Old Factory Resurrects Innovations in Woven City
**A New Hub for Innovation: The Inventor Garage at Woven City**
The Woven City project, a $10 billion development by Toyota, is making waves as the world's first "robot city." Located at the foot of Mount Fuji in Japan, this futuristic city is a living laboratory for testing and integrating advanced technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence, sustainable mobility, and hydrogen power [1][2][3].
One unique feature of Woven City is the Inventor Garage, a space dedicated to fostering innovation and technological development. Although specific details about the Inventor Garage were not found in the search results, it is clear that this hub plays a crucial role in Woven City's mission to create a platform for inventors and researchers to test and refine new technologies in real-world scenarios [1][2][3].
The Inventor Garage is housed in a refurbished plant building that retains many elements of its legacy. Originally the stamping plant building of Toyota Motor East Japan (TMEJ) Higashi-Fuji Plant, the Inventor Garage preserves the look of the original structure, with exposed steel beams, flaking paint, and oil-streaked floors [4][5]. Overhead, an iconic crane remains, a testament to the building's history.
The team behind Woven City initially planned to demolish the Inventor Garage, but they decided to preserve the old framework instead. Some alterations have been made, such as replacing the slate exterior wall that faces National Route 246 with glass and resin [4]. The lab area within the Inventor Garage will be a bustling space for building and testing new ideas.
The Monozukuri Area in the Inventor Garage will be equipped with various tools such as 3D printers and laser cutters for flexible prototyping [4]. The same building that housed the plant's press will now have a presentation stage for inventors to share their findings with Woven City residents.
In the Inventor Garage, inventors from around the world are invited to test new products and ideas, with the goal of solving social issues and creating new values [2]. A veteran craftsperson from Toyota, known as "oyaji," will provide technical assistance to help shape these ideas.
The Inventor Garage's transparency is a reflection of Woven City's commitment to sharing information. During the day, light floods in from outside, and at night it spills out, allowing community members to see what's happening inside the Inventor Garage.
These efforts aim to stimulate the inventions that create "a new kind of fabric for our future." With the Inventor Garage at its heart, Woven City promises to be a hub of innovation, where ideas are brought to life and shaped by the community.
- The Inventor Garage, a significant feature of Woven City, serves as a nexus for fostering innovation and technological development, particularly in the areas of manufacturing, finance, and technology, as it encourages inventors to test and refine new ideas and products.
- With the addition of advanced tools such as 3D printers and laser cutters, the Monozukuri Area within the Inventor Garage provides a conducive environment for inventors from various sectors, including the industry, to create, prototype, and present solutions that could potentially address social issues and generate new values.
