Toyota is using artificial intelligence (AI) to achieve zero traffic accidents for its first software-defined vehicles (SDVs), but says it cannot achieve the goal alone or without autonomous vehicles.
Speaking to media including Daily Sparkz At the recent Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo, Toyota’s software development center president Akihiro Sarada said improved road safety requires collaboration between automakers and beyond.
“Our ultimate goal with SDV is to create a society without traffic accidents,” said Sarada-san.
“First of all, it is important to create an ecosystem with partners, not only in the automotive industry but also elsewhere, who can share our goal of reducing accidents to zero.
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“We think it is important to create this system with other car manufacturers – Toyota cannot achieve zero traffic accidents alone.”
SDVs rely on software to control their functions – rather than physical components, commonly referred to as hardware.
The Tesla Model S electric sedan, launched in 2012, is considered the world’s first mass-produced SDV.
Through software updates, SDVs can be updated with new features as they are developed and can also be customized to suit their owner’s tastes.
Toyota first announced its goal of zero traffic accidents – and therefore zero deaths – in a media presentation on SDVs in 2024, without setting a timetable for achieving the goal.
“If it’s just the technology of cars, you can’t prevent accidents caused by pedestrians stepping out of the blind spot, for example,” Sarada-san said.
“If we only work with cars, accidents will go down, but at some point they will stagnate.”
“Therefore, we want to go through the cycle of an ecosystem that offers customers safety and security and thereby also offers attractive cars.”
The key technology, Sarada-san said, is seamless high-speed communication or interaction between vehicles and infrastructure such as road cameras.
To be effective, the vast amounts of data constantly being collected must be analyzed quickly, Toyota’s software chief said.
“As we know, people move quickly in urban areas and rural areas as well as on mountain roads. After the system detects objects such as vehicles and people, it should share their information immediately and continuously,” he said.
“To help with this, we are also developing new communications technologies and using AI to choose the best way to collect data.”
Toyota’s use of AI is being used in conjunction with autonomous vehicle technology, with the Japanese auto giant announcing a partnership with Waymo to develop self-driving taxis earlier this year.
“Our ultimate goal is to eradicate traffic accidents, and of course autonomous driving is a necessary technology to create this safe environment,” Sarada-san said.
The software boss made it a point to clarify the definition of “autonomous driving,” Toyota said.
“We don’t use it (the term) for ‘driverless driving’, but we want to use this technology to increase driving pleasure for customers.”
“Even though people drive cars, we want to reduce the number of accidents.”
Toyota is not the first automaker to set an ambitious goal of zero deaths, nor is it the first to use AI to improve vehicle safety.
In 2014, the Swedish brand Volvo – under Hakan Samuelsson, president and CEO from 2012-2022, who is now back in that role – announced a goal of zero traffic fatalities in its vehicles by 2020.
Despite falling short of the ambitious target, which the company blamed on drunk drivers, it says it remains committed to preventing deaths in its vehicles.
After missing its mark, Volvo introduced AI-based driver monitoring technology to detect drunk drivers and prevent them from using their vehicle.
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