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Macross Creator Kawamori Designs Subaru Cars' EyeSight Robot

Automobile manufacturer Subaru revealed last Friday that mecha designer and anime director Shōji Kawamori (Macross, Aquarion, AKB0048) is collaborating with Fuji Heavy Industries in order to re-imagine its “EyeSight” Driving Support System as a fictional robot.

EyeSight is Fuji Heavy Industries' newest Driving Support System used in Subaru cars. It is bundled with select 2013 and later models in order to prevent or decrease the probability of causing an accident.

Kawamori rearranged the design of the system to turn it into a robot character for a promotional campaign. The robot not only has a Humanoid mode, but also a Helicopter mode. Kawamori wrote in the online creator notes that he had originally designed its flight form based off of an airplane, but decided that he wanted to make a more approachable design instead. As a result, he chose to change the design to a helicopter.

This is not the first time Kawamori collaborated with real-life manufacturers. Sony commissioned Kawamori to redesign its Aibo robot dog into the ERS-220 model in the image of an interplanetary explorer. He also designed the Dualis powered suit concept to promote Nissan's compact SUV of the same name. He co-designed Takara's Diaclone Car Robot toys that eventually became the Optimus Prime, Prowl, and Ironhide toys in Hasbro's Transformers line.

Source: animeanime.jp

Images © 2013 Subaru, Shōji Kawamori, Satelight