A group of engineers gathered around a prototype in a quiet corner of Toyota’s headquarters that looked like a toy gone wild. More specifically, a transparent ball with a tiny cart inside, wobbling on makeshift tracks. This was the first look at the TE-SPINNER, a spherical mobility device that would, in just one year, grow from a duct-tape-laden concept into a 2-meter wide, human-carrying wonder.
Developed by the Toyota Engineering Society (TES), a volunteer group of 20,000 engineers founded in 1947, it was inspired by the 2024 TES theme, “What’s this? It’s amazing!”. The principle is similar to a hamster wheel: a cart with four wheels moves along two rails inside the sphere, driven by a battery and motor. When the cart moves, the sphere rotates, propels itself forward, backward or in wide curves. Early prototypes were no bigger than a basketball, but derailed after a few rotations, demonstrating the difficulty of scaling this concept to carry passengers.
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By mid-2024, there was a quarter-size model, but the team still had to overcome the major challenge of designing a 2-meter sphere that was sturdy enough to hold people while remaining translucent. Shinshi, the Tochigi-based plastic firm best known for its aquarium panels, stepped in. The sphere’s body was split into four parts and glued together, with doors added on both sides. Polishing removed the initial cloudiness and the result was a crystal clear capsule.
Inside the TE-SPINNER, simplicity keeps things simple while some luxurious touches ensure it isn’t too barren. The cart now has rollers to prevent derailing and houses a computer, battery and motor. A joystick controls movement, with manual and autonomous modes. Weights shift to keep the passenger platform level as the sphere rolls up to 10 km/h. Mixed reality (MR) testing allowed the engineers to see the full-sized model virtually, to test the hatch and seating. The final design is a 2-seater for a parent and child, with playful lighting to delight the younger riders.
The big test came at Waku-Waku World, Toyota City’s annual engineering festival. Among 80 booths, the TE-SPINNER had 200 people waiting in line to ride, with slots assigned by lottery due to high demand. Riders, including kids, climbed through the side door, sat in the cockpit and rolled across a stage that looked like the ocean.
