A future scenario was used to collectively depict possible merchandising, distribution, and service concepts.

Description

Platform concepts for Toyota’s robotics division focused on empowering seniors and  improving their life at home.

Overview

The increasing health care needs of the US population will cause more seniors to face the difficulties of aging unassisted. Toyota sponsored this project to understand the potential business applications of robotics in the US market. Our team wanted to leverage Toyota’s competencies and empower seniors to age comfortably in their own homes.

The team began this research project by studying the physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and contextual needs of seniors.  In addition to conducting extensive secondary research on aging and technology, we also interviewed seniors, consultants, and caregivers to understand key issues and develop principles to guide our concepts.

We found that people have diverse perceptions and expectations of robots and technology. This meant that a single product could not effectively address all seniors. A platform solution (business + product) was chosen to better accommodate a wide array of user needs and expectations.

Platform concepts were created to show Toyota how they might standardize robotic parts and connections to increase the number of product options possible. Open platform concepts also added flexibility, allowing third parties to compliment and expand Toyota’s core capabilities.

Business models, process adaptations, and delivery options were explored to further demonstrate platform potential. Many of these concepts were combined into a cohesive future scenario, providing a more tangible example of what could be.

Senior needs were collected from primary and secondary research, and assembled into a mind map for reference.

A product platform explored how Toyota might include third party manufacturers and software developers.

We provided a phased road map to help prioritize the initiatives for implementing a platform strategy.