Lexus Taking Leaps in Developing Autonomous Driving Technology
Daily Slideshow: Toyota Research Institute have transformed this Lexus LS500h into the TRI-P4, a vehicle so advanced it dosen't even need a driver.
The future is now.
Seems like just yesterday self-driving cars were a thing reserved only for sci-fi movies. Well, you don't have to wait until 2084 for a Johnny Cab to take you where you want, because real self-driving cars are almost here. Unlike the Johnny Cab Schwarzenegger used in the movie Total Recall, these real-life future cars look good and are going to perform even better due to a slew of new packaging and technology that Toyota is showing off in the new Toyota Research Institute TRI-P4.
Images Courtesy of Lexus
Complete Autonomy
The new TRI-P4 is based on the Lexus LS500h and it has been developed to test Toyota's two new driving systems. The first system, called the Chauffeur system, is what you expect out of a self-driving car. Complete hands off, read a newspaper, take a nap, play some video games, self-driving. The system is being developed to be able to drive "completely in all environments, or within a restricted driving domain," according to senior vice president of automated driving, Ryan Eustace.
Enhance Performance
The other system being developed on the P4 is what Toyota is calling the Guardian system. This system is being developed to "amplify human performance behind the wheel, not replace it." Think about it as a more integrated lane keeping and auto braking system. This system is most likely being developed to create technology that will trickle down into lower tier models for advanced safety features.
Eyes on the prize
The P4 has more eyes on the road than a bus full of backseat drivers. It is due to all these cameras that the P4 is able to now see the road better. Toyota has added 4 new cameras in total from the last prototype vehicle, two on the sides, one front, and one rear. The new front and rear cameras have been developed specifically for self-driving cars. If that wasn't enough the P4 also carries over the 8 LIDAR sensors from the P3. All this combined makes sure the P4 can see all the road and all the obstacles on it.
Boot space to boot!
Previous Toyota/Lexus self-driving prototypes have been a bit of a mess in the aesthetics department, with trunks full of electronics and sensors haphazardly placed on the outside. With the P4, Toyota was sure to clean up the execution. Starting with the trunk, they mounted all the computer electronics vertically in order to free up space in the trunk. The custom panel easily folds down to access the myriad of processors used to make the P4 work.
Familiar Interior
The interior of the P4 is rather, well, plain. Almost nothing on the inside of the P4 looks different from its normal LS500h counterpart. The large, glaring exception is the addition of the large red button on the dash. Toyota did not disclose what this button does, so let your imagination run wild and let us know what your best guess is as to what it does.
Sleek Lines
The best part of the TRI-P4 is the fact that it is still a good looking car. All the cameras and sensors are blended into the body as best as they can. At the very least, nothing looks tacked on. Toyota tasked their studio, CALTY Design Research out of Ann Arbor, MI to create the style for the P4. The goal was to create a vehicle that flowed well and was also "loosely inspired by science fiction." Sci-fi tech deserves a little sci-fi styling.
Welcome or Shuned?
Self-driving cars are one step closer to reality thanks to the TRI-P4. The question still remains though, will the public as a whole adopt and trust self-driving cars to get them around, or is all this technology going to hit a roadblock of people too distrustful of computers to let them take the wheel. Only time will tell, but if the P4 shows us anything, its that we won't have to wait long to find out.
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