New Partnership announced by Toyota Research Institute to Advance Automated Driving

The Toyota Research Institute (TRI) has signed an agreement with GoMentum Station for further development    of autonomous vehicle technology. This new partnership will help the growth of autonomous vehicle technologies.

This testing will take place on the 5,000 acre autonomous vehicle testing grounds, located in Concord, California. TRI will continue testing its autonomous vehicles on public roads, as well. GoMentum Station facility will allow the company to experiment with extreme driving events which are not safe to conduct on public roads. This particularly refers to testing vehicles like the ones with Guardian and Chauffeur driving modes. In the Guardian mode, the driver is still in control of the vehicle. On the other hand, the Chauffeur mode is full automation. Both the Guardian and Chauffeur are exactly what they sound like- each person is a passenger while the vehicle operates itself. Both modes use the same technology and a number of cameras and sensors.

TRI’s test vehicles will be equipped with one of the company’s latest Platform 2.1 technology, including the new high- fidelity LIDAR system which has the ability to collect more data.

This system will use the GoMentum Station facility’s real-life infrastructure for testing. Its infrastructure includes bridges, roads, tunnels, parking lots and intersections.

“The addition of GoMentum Station to TRI’s arsenal of automated vehicle test locations allows us to create hazardous driving scenarios for advancing capabilities of both Guardian and Chauffeur and further develop our technology,” said Ryan Eustice, TRI vice president of autonomous driving.

Collaboration is a crucial factor for further innovation. This next generation of transportation technology found its birth place with GoMentum Station, in the Bay Area. TRI’s work and efforts at GoMentum Station will advance research which can improve lives immensely, not only in Contra Costa County but worldwide.

“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,” states Randy Iwasaki, Executive Director of CCTA. “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.”

“The city of Concord is very excited to welcome Toyota Research Institute and its autonomous technology to GoMentum Station,” said Laura Hoffmeister, mayor of the city of Concord.  “The city continues to serve the region as an autonomous technology hub, and we believe this partnership will continue to support economic growth and spur excitement for high-tech jobs in our community.”