The Future of Mobility Could be Now
Toyota, the Japanese automotive giant that has earned a reputation for quality, innovation and increasingly, mobility solutions, has stunned the world with a revolutionary mobility concept that is a type of wheelchair that walks: Walk Me.
As Interesting Engineering details, Walk Me is a four-legged autonomous chair that walks where wheels can’t, representing a new era of intelligent mobility allowing users to move independently across everyday environments.
BBC Top Gear shares that this “Land Cruiser of wheelchairs” only came to fruition after a special request from 69-year-old Toyota chairman, Akio Toyeda, who wanted to enjoy off-road leisure into his retirement.
Unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show
First showcased at the Japan Mobility Show 2025, this inclusive technology device has been designed to move like living limbs to help people with decreased mobility overcome the challenges they face daily.
In contrast to traditional wheelchairs, Walk Me discards wheels in favor of four independent robotic “limbs.” These limbs are able to bend, lift, and adjust independently. Unlike standard wheelchairs too, Toyota’s AI-led innovation can help users overcome hurdles like climbing stairs, stepping up into a car, or navigating uneven terrain, all the time ensuring that it remains stable in motion.
Each leg is coated in a soft outer material concealing its mechanical components and sensors, offering a safer and friendlier exterior. A curved backrest supports the spine, while small side handles enable manual steering. The device also responds to voice commands such as “kitchen,” while a small display shows information such as distance travelled, battery life, and even a cartoon map of the home
Walk Me is also compact and able to fold and reopen itself. A single button press sees the legs retract telescopically or extend in 30 seconds.
A Closer Look at Toyota’s Revolutionary Mobility Prototype
According to reports from publications such as Designboom, Walk Me’s motorized legs are inspired by animal movement. These are also called “biomimicary principles” as Yanko Design reports, drawing in particular on how goats and crabs move across uneven ground. The design enables the chair to glide smoothly on flat surfaces, and to adjust to a user’s movements in real time to maintain balance and adaptability on challenging surfaces like stairs, slopes and gravel paths.
When climbing stairs, for instance, the front legs first test the height and pull the chair up, while the rear legs push the user’s weight upward. Meanwhile, sensors continuously scan surroundings, letting Walk Me navigate obstacles such as toys or rug edges.
When in use, weight sensors ensure that the user remains centered before any major movement, and seamlessly adjust the base and tilt back to keep the users’ centre of gravity over their feet when they sense an imbalance, to maintain stability. Collision radars halt the chair if a person or object crosses its path.
This wheelchair alternative is an innovation that embodies a desire to merge robotics and human-centered design focused on user comfort and safety to enhance independence for people with reduced mobility. This gives it the potential to transform how people with limited mobility explore the world around them.
While with no announced production timeline, and still considered a “design study” by Toyota, this prototype is seen as a significant advance in Toyota’s vision and exploration of assistive mobility, This is because it combines multiple innovations into one compact system. These advances take in robotics, artificial intelligence, and ergonomic design.
