It would seem that the essence of self-driving cars is to ensure maximum comfort of passengers and “remove” from the cabin of the driver, entrusting the control of the robot. It seems to be a logical decision, but carmaker Toyota thinks otherwise. They have recently submitted a very advanced version of driverless cars. Only now the driver’s seats in it as much for two.
The experimental prototype developed by engineers at the Toyota Research Institute (TRI) based on sensors Sensor System 2.0. The new system is called Platform 2.1.
It is built on the basis of a Lexus sedan. On the roof of the vehicle where located outdoor sensors and cameras, which relies on AI, was added a special laser scanner environment Luminar LIDAR. It has a very high range and wide area coverage. The hallmark of the new element is that it supports a narrow grip and increase its resolution. Thus, Luminar LIDAR can more effectively scan only the area that is of interest, thus increasing the reliability of control.
As for availability for two drivers, then all is simple: both the driver’s seat can work separately or duplicate each other. According to engineers of the TRI, such an approach would ensure the development of optimal strategies for the transfer of control from robot to human and back, which would be useful in emergency situations where no human intervention is necessary. In addition, the new control system will be based on machine learning algorithms and will learn from good drivers with great experience and even pass this knowledge to novice drivers.
In addition, Platform 2.1 assumed the role of Guardian. It monitors the actions of the driver and, if the situation on the road becomes dangerous, trying to adjust the behavior of the car and takes all measures to prevent accidents. Guardian also monitors the state of the driver by tracking his driving style and emotional state. If the person is in a state close to sleep, or intoxicated, the system can simply block it.
Toyota introduced the car-robot, in which compartment 2 driver’s seat
Vladimir Kuznetsov