Toyota will use the 2020 Summer Olympics, which will be held in Tokyo for the first time since 1964, to showcase a range of semi-autonomous vehicles.
General Manager of Intelligent Vehicle Development, Ken Koibuchi told Automotive News, that the automaker has big plans for the Olympics.
“We want to show a high-spec technology as a showcase.” However he brushed off attempts to get more details, but said the company will showcase its next-generation semi-autonomous driving system as well as prototypes which preview technology that will be introduced later in the decade
Autonews also reported that Japan’s roads are being mapped by automakers as the Japanese government applies pressure for them to do so. Koibuchi believes most of the highways will mapped in time for the Olympics, which could allow semi-autonomous vehicles to cruise the highways with relative ease.
Koibuchi said the company still needs to start using light detection and ranging (lidar) sensors, despite the mapping efforts. Costs have been dropping and the manager said we can expect to see them on Toyota and Lexus vehicles in the “near future.”
Toyota’s next-generation semi-autonomous driving system is expectedto be available in vehicles next year, so more information will no doubt be made available ahead of the Olympic Games.
Source: Carscoops