Toyota unveils its next-generation autonomous vehicle, Platform 3.0
Autonomous vehicles are the norm of this century. Automobile manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to integrate the modern-day technology into their future innovations. In a similar effort, Toyota Research Institute on Thursday, 4th January 2017, debuted its next-generation automated driving research vehicle, which is known as Platform 3.0.
The vehicle inbuilt on Lexus LS 600 HL. As per the announcement made by Toyota, the vehicle comes equipped with a “sensor-rich package that makes it one of the most perceptive automated driving test cards on the road.” According to a report published by PC Magazine, Toyota plans on showing their latest innovation off at the CES event scheduled to take place in Las Vegas next week.
The Toyota Research Institute, which is an outbranch of Toyota automobiles, was formed back in 2015 with the main objective to concentrate on research and development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) robotics. The upcoming Platform 3.0 is powered by a LIDAR system, which previously tracked the forward direction. However, the updated one allows the car’s system to have a complete 360-degree perimeter. “The four high-resolution LIDAR scanning heads can “precisely detect objects in the environment including notoriously difficult-to-see dark objects,” TRI wrote in a press release. The vehicle also reportedly has LIDAR sensors for shorter ranges. These are meant to “detect low-level and smaller objects near the car like children and debris in the roadway.”
The Platform 3.0 is meant to be a sleek, modern-day compact vehicle equipped with the best of the technologies. Unlike other autonomous test vehicles, the automobile is powered by a large “spinning bucket” LIDAR sensor which is situated right on top of the vehicle. Production of the latest Platform 3.0 is scheduled to begin in Spring this year.
The manufacturing will take place at Toyota Motor North America’s Prototype Development Center, which is based in York Township, Mich. “Production volume is intentionally low to allow for continued flexibility given the quickness with which TRI has progressed in updating its test platform,” the company wrote. “There have been three major updates, including two new generation test models, in less than a year, and TRI anticipates continued rapid developments.”
