A couple of months ago, Toyota decided to invest $1 billion in a research center that will focus on artificial intelligence is a clear indication that the company intends to become leader in the future autonomous car market.
The primary goal of Toyota is to apply the knowledge and the discoveries made at this research center to the development of advanced driver assistance systems that would help control driverless vehicles. The launch of this center is of great significance for both the company and the entire automotive industry, as it could yield some major advancements in the self-driving technology, which is widely expected to be the future of personal and commercial transportation.
Taking Advantage of Silicon Valley Talent
Even though Toyota is not the only car maker working on autonomous vehicles, it could gain a serious advantage over its competitors by setting up a research center in Silicon Valley, which has an immensely high concentration of highly talented engineers, scientists and software developers. By investing in such a facility in the global hub for high-tech talent, Toyota wants to be as close as possible to some of the world’s leading researchers in the field and benefit from it.
What’s more, the fact that the company has appointed Gill Pratt – who is among the world’s most prominent robotics experts – to lead its artificial intelligence research and development efforts, shows that Toyota is serious about developing autonomous vehicles, as well as robotics.
Human Drivers Not Completely Eliminated
However, it should be noted that Toyota doesn’t seem to intend to build fully-autonomous vehicles right away. The company’s plan is to develop autonomous driving technologies that would help drivers avoid collisions, without giving complete control of the vehicle to self-driving systems. The ultimate goal is to create technologies that will help eliminate crashes altogether and improve road safety.
In addition to preventing collisions, the technologies developed at this center will be aimed at solving mobility problems faced by the elderly, as well as providing mobility benefits for people with disabilities. That is why the artificial intelligence research center could be extremely significant for the future of the automotive industry and transportation in general.
Strong Contender in the Driverless Car Race
As far as the company’s position in the driverless car market is concerned, Toyota’s decision to establish significant presence in Silicon Valley definitely gives it a chance for becoming a leader in autonomous vehicle technology. The fact that it will invest as much as $1 billion over the next five years makes it one of the favorites to win the race to launch the first driverless car.