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Toyota launches new cars equipped with ‘Advanced Drive’

Toyota has launched two new cars – the Lexus LS and Mirai – equipped with what it describes as “Advanced Drive”, which sounds somewhat similar to an advanced driver assistance system, or ADAS, a widely known term to mean a range of automated or autonomous driving functions.

Toyota says its Advanced Drive “enables drivers and cars to drive together”, and that the company is seeking to enrich people’s lives through mobility.

Advanced Drive has five technology characteristics: Intelligent, Reliable, Perceptive, Interactive, and Upgradeable.

The objective is to achieve automated driving that drivers can rely on through making decisions with the highest priority on safety at all times including consideration for the drivers of other vehicles while achieving natural and smooth driving equivalent to that of a person.

AI technology centered on deep learning is incorporated to forecast various situations that may be encountered while driving and provide assist for driver responses.

In cases where danger is forecasted, whether in the surrounding environment or the driver’s condition, the system provides a warning, and the driver can make a decision or specify operation of the system in accordance with a proposal from the system.

The objective is driving assist that fosters trust between driver and car through this two-way communication.

In addition, Advanced Drive uses software updates so functions can be added and updated after the vehicle is delivered to the customer, enhancing convenience and providing the latest technologies.

In Japan, Toyota will collect driving data, including exterior image data, transmitting it to the company’s secure data server. By collecting and analyzing vehicle performance data under constantly changing conditions, Toyota can use it as reference for future development of advanced safety and mapping technologies.

The privacy and security of the drivers and individuals captured on camera are taken into consideration when this data is collected and processed.

Advanced Drive is the system that assists driving when driving on an expressway or other motor-vehicle-only roadway.

By setting the destination in the navigation system, the on-board system will appropriately detect the situation, make decisions, and assist driving under the driver’s supervision according to actual traffic conditions.

It can keep the vehicle in its lane, maintain the distance from other vehicles, navigate a lane split, change lanes, and overtake other vehicles until leaving the roadway for the destination.

The driver is freed from operating the accelerator, brakes, and steering, reducing fatigue during prolonged driving and enabling the driver to pay closer attention to the surroundings to achieve safe driving.

The function provides natural and smooth driving in a variety of conditions including around curves, during congested traffic, and when passing by vehicles.

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