Toyota Research Institute has been working on the company’s Guardian & Chauffer autonomous vehicle platform for some time now. The latest video released by TRI shows development made in the 2.1 Platform. For those not in the know, platform 2.1 is the first research tool for testing both Guardian and Chauffer systems on the same vehicle with same software and sensors. On one hand, Chauffer is responsible for all driving tasks and on the other hand, the Guardian mode serves as safety net for the human driver and helps avert any untoward incident. Chauffer is primarily Toyota’s testing version of SAE Level 4/5 autonomy. The video gives a peek into the vehicle’s ability to self-drive on a closed course and to navigate through obstacles. The automated system is designed in such a way that it skews to a safe lane around the stalled vehicle and returns to the original lane. Also Read – Upcoming Toyota Cars In India
While the Guardian tests show how the automated system can protect the vehicle and occupants in case of an untoward event. The system also takes a proactive action during a hazardous situation, in case the driver fails to react. It has also been designed to monitor the driver’s eyes for any distraction or drowsy driving. Other situation where the Guardian system comes into action is when the vehicle goes off course, here the system takes over for the driver to manoeuvre the car and retains control until the driver is ready to handle the car. Also Read – Upcoming New Toyota Cars At Auto Expo 2018
What makes the Platform 2.1 amusing, is that it gets a second vehicle control cockpit on the co-passenger side. The cockpit features a fully operational haptic drive-by-wire steering wheel along with pedals for accelerating and braking functions. The dual-cockpit layout is excellent for experimentation of autonomous system and for testing other primary functions as well as features. It is also useful in the development of machine learning algorithm that can learn from expert drivers and further provide coaching to the beginners.
