Toyota Research Institute (TRI) recently signed an agreement with GoMentum Station to test autonomous vehicles. GoMentum Station is a partnership managed by the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) between automakers and equipment manufacturers as well as public agencies, tech companies, and researchers.
Testing of both the Toyota Guardian and the Chauffeur will take place at a 5,000-acre facility in Concord, California. With the Guardian, an automated system works in the background as a crash avoidance system while a driver maintains control of the vehicle. Chauffeur is fully autonomous.
Both technologies were demonstrated with Platform 2.1, TRI’s safety research vehicle, and both use cameras and sensors. Toyota wants to give owners the option of which autonomous platform they want to use.
Platform 2.1 will be tested with a LIDAR system with a longer sensing range.
“The benefits of driverless technology are many, but the most important one is increased safety. TRI’s work in the artificial intelligence arena is vital to advancing autonomous vehicle technology,” Randy Iwasaki, executive director of CCTA, said. “The statistics are clear: lives will be saved by reducing a vehicle’s reliance on human drivers, and we are excited to see the progress TRI will make to perfect driverless and driver-aided technology at GoMentum Station.”