No fewer than 30 "i-units" (described as 'futuristic individual mobility prototypes'), and 3 "i-foots" (robot transporters), as well as 26 dancers, five trapeze artists and 100 or so technicians are working together to ensure that 14 presentations of the show will be provided every day up until the end of the Expo in September, say ECA2.
The project's conception and implementation required over two years of work by ECA2's creative teams, working alongside engineers from Toyota's research units ensuring a seamless mix of human performances, the show's technologies, and Toyota's most sophisticated technologies.The International Expo being held in Aichi, near Nagoya in Japan, which is Toyota's home ground, opens its doors on 25 March and will last for six months. It is expected that nearly 15 million visitors will attend this expo, which is focused on the future, and involves over 127 countries. Its main theme will be 'Nature's Wisdom' and it will develop key themes relating to our environment, including nature, ecology, sustainable development and new technologies.
Yves Pépin and ECA2 have previously been assigned the design and production of shows for international expos in Lisbon (1998) and in Yamaguchi in Japan (2001). ECA2 is also known for having produced the Y2K fireworks display at the Eiffel Tower and the Opening Ceremony for the Soccer World Cup at the Stade de France in 1998. More recently, ECA2 designed and produced the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Athens Paralympic Games.
(Lee Baldock)
