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Concept Cars of the Future - AI Bonds With Driver in Autonomous Toyota LQ

Toyota is planning for the future and, in doing so, it’s aiming to shape it. Their latest concept car, developed in partnership with the Toyota Research Institute (TRI) and called Toyota LQ is a car that is both electrical and autonomous, and equipped with an on-board AI.
Toyota LQ is a fully autonomous, electric car that bonds with the driver 10 photos
Photo: Toyota
The Toyota LQ concept car: AI-powered, fully autonomous, electricThe Toyota LQ concept car: AI-powered, fully autonomous, electricThe Toyota LQ concept car: AI-powered, fully autonomous, electricThe Toyota LQ concept car: AI-powered, fully autonomous, electricThe Toyota LQ concept car: AI-powered, fully autonomous, electricThe Toyota LQ concept car: AI-powered, fully autonomous, electricThe Toyota LQ concept car: AI-powered, fully autonomous, electricThe Toyota LQ concept car: AI-powered, fully autonomous, electricThe Toyota LQ concept car: AI-powered, fully autonomous, electric
The Toyota LQ was introduced at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show and is meant as the next generation of the Toyota Concept-i, which was presented at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show. It combines a seamless, futuristic design with state-of-the-art technology to offer the guarantee of safety and ultimate personal comfort to both driver and the other 3 passengers.

The idea

Toyota LQ is a 4-passenger vehicle that would weigh about 1,680 kg (3,703 pounds), outstanding for its futuristic design and on-board capabilities. It would have level 4 autonomy and a range of 300 km (186 miles). Its goal would be to create a “bond” between driver and passengers, by using AI to personalize the driving experience for each occupant according to mood, and internal and external conditions.

The Toyota LQ concept car\: AI\-powered, fully autonomous, electric
Photo: Toyota
In doing so, LQ aims to become more than just a car: it wants to be the agent of a personalized, customizable mobility experience, based on the idea that the “human needs to be engaged emotionally.” It will achieve that through the on-board AI named Yui, a name inspired by Jidoka, “automation with a human touch.”

In addition to the AI, the LQ would incorporate technology to deliver a safe, less stressful journey. Emphasis is placed on personal comfort, whether it means feeling more relaxed or more alert, and the car will take cues from the driver/passenger and respond accordingly.

The technology

The most outstanding feature of the LQ is Yui, the AI-powered on-board interactive agent, which will learn from the car’s passengers and customize the driving experience for each of them separately. The car communicates with the driver and the other occupants through incorporated lights in the footwells, letting them know by color to whom it is “addressing” itself.

The AI will read and respond to the driver’s physical and emotional state in a variety of ways. The car’s smart seats include “air bladders” that can inflate or deflate depending on the situation: they will inflate to keep a tired driver upright, or inflate and deflate to the rhythm of his breathing when the car is in autonomous mode and he needs to relax. The air conditioning is tied to the system and will blow colder air in the face of a tired driver, with the same goal of keeping him alert.

The Toyota LQ concept car\: AI\-powered, fully autonomous, electric
Photo: Toyota
The AI will play music depending on the driver’s mood and exterior conditions, or release fragrance. It will learn from the driver and respond in such a way as to meet his needs at one particular moment. The communication between human and car will be done via interactive voice commands, so buttons will become a thing of the past.

LQ comes with automated valet parking and an augmented reality-enhanced “head-up” display which shows important information without the driver having to take his eyes off the road. The same information will be displayed on the windscreen, thus reducing the eye moment and, consequently, the level of stress for the driver.

The Digital Micromirror Device installed in the headlights will inform people inside and outside of the LQ about road conditions, by displaying complicated figures.

That human touch

With this much automation and technology, the focus point of the LQ remains the man or woman driving it, and the other people inside. Toyota doesn’t want to take away the pleasure of driving a car, but rather to provide all the technology drivers would need if they ever wanted to stop driving – for longer or shorter stretches.

The Toyota LQ concept car\: AI\-powered, fully autonomous, electric
Photo: Toyota
After all, this is what Jidoka is all about: using machines to make man’s job or tasks easier, more efficient and, with the LQ, many times more pleasant.

“In the past, our love for cars was built on their ability to take us to distant places and enable our adventures,” LQ development leader Daisuke Ido says. “Advanced technology gives us the power to match customer lifestyles with new opportunities for excitement and engagement.”

“With the LQ, we are proud to propose a vehicle that can deliver a personalize experience, meet each driver's unique mobility needs and build an even stronger bond between car and driver,” he continues.

The LQ is a car that will drive itself if need be, but also learn from you so it will be able to meet your needs before you’re even aware of them. It will work to keep you safe, comfort you – heck, it will even breathe with you, if that’s what you want.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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