Just showed Mirai-based research vehicle w/ satellite tech from @KymetaCorp More: https://t.co/EupvcpRubp #NAIAS pic.twitter.com/rg9jsGuQFU
— Toyota USA (@Toyota) January 12, 2016
We expected, given Toyota's recent foray into artificial intelligence development, that the company's auto show appearances would be dominated by talk of self-driving cars.
Instead, they hit us with this whammy.
Satellite communication technology may not seem as thrilling as the idea of self-aware robot cars, but this development could change your life.
For decades, there have only been two ways to get information from a satellite: a focused dish-antenna, or an omnidirectional antenna which receives magnitudes less data.
A dish antenna could never work in a car for two reasons:
- Aerodynamics. You would never want a dish on your roof while driving highway speeds, and it would be hard to place inside the cabin.
- Cars change direction as they drive, and a dish must always point toward the satellite to work.
Kymeta Corporation has developed directional antennas with the ability to receive massive amounts of satellite data, but which lie flat like a tile, instead of a dish.
Satellites offer a broader range of coverage than cellular towers, because they orbit far above our planet. Next time you take a long off-roading adventure into the remote wilderness, think about a future where your Toyota Tundra will still be connected, and able to send emergency signals.
Visit Toyota Of Plano to learn more about upcoming technology that could affect our new inventory.
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