Tech-Laden Kyocera Moeye Concept Reconciles The Past With The Future

Every once in a while, a company that has never built cars unveils a concept vehicle, and Japan’s Kyocera is the latest to do so.

You may not have heard of Kyocera Corporation, but chances are you may have used at least one of its products as the Kyoto-based company is an electronics manufacturer specializing in printers, copiers, mobile phones, LCDs and solar cells.

Now, Kyocera wants to show the world its vision of an autonomous vehicle cockpit in the Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) era. Enter the Kyocera Moeye concept, a tech study equipped with many of the company’s unique products.

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Kyocera focused on broadening the driver’s field of view by making a part of the cockpit “transparent” using optical camouflage technology. This trick is used to transform the entire 1.2-meter (3.9-ft) wide screen and the A-pillars into see-through objects by displaying footage captured by outside cameras.

The Moeye is also equipped with various Kyocera-specific devices, including a 3D holographic assistant projected from a high-performance liquid crystal display in the dash, ‘Ceraphic’ LED lighting similar to natural light on the ceiling and door panels, and ‘Kyoto Opal’ artificial jewelry on the door cards and center console.

The concept also showcases tactile technologies such as ‘Haptivity’, which replicates the sensation of pressing an actual button when navigating on the big virtual dashboard display. There’s also a vibration speaker onboard that uses a piezo element to produce high-quality sound, as well as a vibrating speaker in the driver’s headrest.

Finally, Kyocera’s Moeye concept also features five types of rich scents that can be released in the cabin depending on the passengers’ preferences and moods.

We’ve left the exterior design for last, as it’s in complete contrast with the futuristic interior. That’s because the Moeye’s design theme is ‘time’, offering an experience that runs through the history of cars, from the past to the future of automobiles envisioned by Kyocera.

The study looks like a 1930s classic car on the outside, though it integrates modern elements like the tiny rearview cameras, LED lights, and geometric modeling. The interior itself has retro cues as well thanks to the warm texture of the surfaces and the minimalist design.