TOKYO — From his glass-walled office high above central Tokyo, James Kuffner keeps a running computer file of "crazy ideas" for whenever a moment of genius strikes.

Toyota's newest board member and resident robotics wizard gets lots of bolts from the blue.

One of his latest: a high-rise rooftop landing pad for flying cars that can pop up and open like a parasol, saving a lot of space compared with traditional heliports with their big painted "H."

"When the vehicle wanted to land, you could land on it. And when it's not being used, it could actually fold up and store away, maybe even underground," Kuffner said with an inventor's twinkle in his eye. "That's one idea I thought was good. Some people said that's crazy. But it's trying to think about the future of mobility and see what kinds of ideas we can bring to bear."