Toyota rolls out next-gen automated car that rolls itself

Toyota to debut new TRI-P4 autonomous driving test vehicle at CES 2019.

Toyota announced on Jan 4 that its latest and most technologically advanced autonomous test vehicle will make its public debut at CES 2019 on Jan 7.

A special Lexus LS 500h flagship sedan, which will hitherto be known as the TRI-P4 automated driving test vehicle, will be joining the company’s automated driving test fleet in the spring of 2019 to aid in Chauffeur and Guardian development.

Chauffeur is a system focused on “full autonomy, where the human is essentially removed from the driving equation“, whereas Guardian is “being designed to amplify human performance behind the wheel, not replace it”. The P4 platform with its latest additions is expected to speed up the development processes thanks to improved situational awareness.

Two new imaging sensors have been integrated into the platform as well as an optimised radar system; both the field of view and range detection have been greatly improved since Platform 3.0, along with being more computationally advanced than ever.

According to Toyota, the platform’s research capabilities have also been enhanced, allowing more machine learning algorithms to run simultaneously to potentially make system development even quicker; therefore, the vehicle will quickly become more reactive and responsive to people and its environment.

In addition to the system’s “brain” being far more powerful than previous generations, this compute box is also much smaller so passengers can fit more junk in their trunks.

The test model will make its public debut on Jan 7 at CES 2019, followed by another appearance at the Detroit Auto Show later this month.