TOYOTA

AUTOMATED DRIVER PLATFORM AT CES 2018...The Toyota Research Institute (TRI) will unveil its new automated driving vehicle design called Platform 3.0 at CES 2018, which will be held next week, January 9-12 in Las Vegas.The new platform, built on a Lexus LS 600h L, combines greater technological capabilities with a new, more harmonized style that integrates automotive vehicle technology into the Lexus LS design. Toyota's automated 3.0-drive platform will be on display at Toyota's CES booth at the North Pavilion at the Las Vegas Convention Center."The team has rapidly evolved our research capabilities into automated vehicles," said Dr. Gill Pratt, CEO of TRI and a partner at Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), who points out: "To take our testing platform to a new level , we leverage Toyota's expertise in research and technology to create a new prototype that has the potential to be a benchmark in terms of functionality and style. "TRI based the development of a new work platform from three core principles: Enhance perceptual capabilities to set the pace of the industry in terms of automated vehicles, integrate detection devices into the vehicle's own design with an elegant image and incorporate automated driving technology in a way that is easy to reproduce to create a fleet of vehicles.

Detection technologyPlatform 3.0 represents a breakthrough in automated TRI vehicle search. Experimentation has been moving up to a set of technologies with a more defined sensor configuration and a performance level that helps to perfect the understanding of the world surrounding the vehicle.The new Toyota platform has a large number of sensors that make it one of the most perceptive automated driving test vehicles. Luminar's LIDAR system, with a range of 200 meters, which previously only followed the vehicle's forward direction, now covers the 360-degree perimeter of the vehicle. This is possible thanks to four high resolution LIDAR scanning brains that accurately detect objects in the environment, including dark objects that are particularly difficult to see.On the four sides of the Lexus LS are smaller-range LIDAR sensors, one on each wheel arch and one on each bumper. With them, it is possible to detect smaller and smaller objects near the vehicle, such as children or objects on the road. The new platform is also flexible to incorporate new technologies as soon as they become available.

Design

TRI relied on CALY Design Research, headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and engineers at Toyota Motor North America Research and Development (TMNA R & D) to compact and hide sensors and cameras. They set up a new insulation panel on the ceiling, ingeniously taking advantage of the space available in the sunroof compartment to reduce overall height to a minimum. This prevents the equipment from appearing to be an accessory and replaces the 'rotating hub' LIDAR sensor that traditionally characterizes standalone test vehicles.CALTY was commissioned to design the ceiling panel image, defined as smart minimalism and inspired by the hulls of off-road motorcycles. The front transmits a sharp technical image that becomes more fluid and aerodynamic to the rear of the vehicle and unites with the contour lines of the Lexus LS. This panel is adorned with chrome finishes that recess the sides where they join with the ceiling line."The functions of car designers have been transformed to a deeper and broader focus on how to design and apply automated driving technologies with driver and occupant thinking," said Scott Roller, Senior Chief Designer, CALTY Design Research, who worked on the project . "It's fascinating to be able to integrate the components in harmony with the vehicle's design," adds Roller.The software architecture of the vehicle for the operation of automated driving components, which previously.

Production
Production of the Platform 3.0 vehicles will begin next spring in the northern hemisphere. The Prototype Development Center, located at TMNA ​​R & D headquarters in York Township, Mich., Which specializes in small-scale production, will create Platform 3.0 vehicles from certain Lexus LS units.Production volume is deliberately low in order to maintain flexibility given the speed with which TRI has been updating its testing platform. So there have been three major upgrades, including two new-generation test models in less than a year, and TRI predicts a rapid and continued evolution.A portion of the new test vehicles will be fitted with the TRI-branded dual-cab control configuration last summer. This arrangement serves to test the TRI's 'Guardian' system by testing with effective methods to switch vehicle control between the human driver and the automated system while maintaining a backup safety lead. Single-cabin vehicles, like what will be shown at CES, are used to test the 'driver' system, which is applied by TRI in full automation of cars. Both 'Guardian' and 'Driver' test systems rely on the same set of sensor technologies, cameras and similar software.

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