At the Japan Mobility Show, Toyota surprised visitors with one of its most futuristic concepts yet — an autonomous mobility device called Walk Me. It’s not a car, not a wheelchair, but something entirely new: a robotic walking chair equipped with four mechanical legs designed to conquer the kind of terrain that wheels simply can’t handle.
Unlike traditional wheelchairs, Walk Me has no wheels. Instead, it has motorized limbs that can bend, lift, and adjust independently.
Toyota envisions Walk Me as a life-changing tool for people with limited mobility — a personal transporter capable of climbing stairs, navigating uneven ground, and even helping users get into vehicles. It merges robotics, artificial intelligence, and ergonomic design into one sleek, adaptive system.
Inspired by Nature, Designed for Humans
Unlike any wheelchair you’ve seen, Walk Me has no wheels at all. Instead, it moves using motorized limbs that bend, lift, and adjust independently — much like the legs of animals that thrive on rough terrain. Toyota’s engineers studied the movement patterns of goats and crabs to design a gait that’s both stable and natural.
Walk Me automatically adjusts to the user’s body shape
Each leg is wrapped in a soft material that conceals complex sensors and mechanisms. As the chair walks, it continuously adjusts its posture, keeping the user upright and balanced, even when traversing steps or uneven surfaces.
Smart Mobility with a Human Touch
When climbing stairs, the front legs scan and measure each step, lifting the seat while the rear legs follow, shifting the center of gravity to maintain stability. A combination of LiDAR, radar, and weight sensors ensures precise, safe movement — automatically stopping if an obstacle or pedestrian appears.
Inside, Walk Me feels more like a smart ergonomic seat than a machine. The curved backrest supports the spine, while compact armrests house intuitive controls and a small display showing speed, battery life, and distance traveled. There’s even voice control for hands-free operation.
Although Walk Me is still in the prototype stage, its debut at the Japan Mobility Show foreshadows a future in which mobility devices are not limited by terrain, structures, or even wheels.
Foldable and Ready for the Road
Power comes from a compact battery neatly tucked beneath the seat — good for a full day’s use on a single charge. But perhaps the most impressive feature is its foldability. With the push of a button, the robotic legs retract and the entire chair folds down to the size of a suitcase in under 30 seconds. You can roll it into a car trunk or store it indoors without taking up much space.
A Glimpse of Future Mobility
While still a prototype, the Walk Me showcases Toyota’s vision of a future where mobility devices are no longer confined to wheels or flat ground. It’s a step — quite literally — toward a world where independence and accessibility go hand in hand with advanced robotics.