While Google has been working on its driverless car tech for many years now, auto manufacturers have also started developing their individual autonomous systems in the interim. We have been hearing of Volkswagen and BMW developing their own autonomous driving systems for some time now. The latest to board the bandwagon is Toyota – the Japanese carmaker has introduced its own version of semi- autonomous driving system today
Toyota calls its new technology the “Automated Highway Driving Assist” (AHDA) and “Pre-Collision System” (PCS) and plans to bring it into production by the middle of the decade.
AHDA is essence is the sum total of two other semi-autonomous technologies – Cooperative-Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) and Lane Trace Control (LTC). Both these technologies work together to facilitate AHDA. CACC is in constant contact with other vehicles on the highway so as to maintain a safe distance from them. On the other hand, LTC controls the steering inputs to keep the vehicle in the correct lane.
Toyota claims that the new systems will not only make driving more hassle free, but also more fuel efficient. Their argument is that with a constant knowledge of the distance from the vehicle around it, the computers would be able to control the throttle more efficiently as compared to the inconsistent human inputs.
The PCS system can anticipate a collision and try to steer away from a potential accident scenario, including a collision with a pedestrian. The pedestrian recognizing system in termed PASA, and will be brought to production at a later stage.
Both of the new systems will be on display at the 20th Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress held in Tokyo next week.