Finally, a fun use for autonomous cars.
According to the Toyota Research Institute (TRI) website, engineers are conducting research into how to bring together the instincts of professional drivers and automated driving technology. Their goal is to design a new level of active safety technology and share it broadly so that Toyota and other auto manufacturers can deploy it on the road.
According to us, they ve found the perfect way of mixing important work with unadulterated fun by taking a prototype racing Toyota GR Supra and having it drift using autonomous driving technology. Oh, and they made a video of it.
Toyota Wants to Make Autonomous Driving AI More Like Racing Pros
Photo: Toyota
The Toyota Research Institute is working with Stanford University’s Dynamic Design Laboratory to develop autonomous driving AI using “the instincts of professional drivers.”
According to Gill Pratt, CEO of TRI, vehicle crashes occur every day that could, potentially, have been avoided if the drivers had superhuman skills and reflexes. TRI’s goal is to give self-driving AI those skills and reflexes using real racing drivers as a starting point.
“The reality is that every driver has vulnerabilities, and to avoid a crash, drivers often need to make maneuvers that are beyond their abilities,” Pratt says. “Through this project, TRI will learn from some of the most skilled drivers in the world to develop sophisticated control algorithms that amplify human driving abilities and keep people safe.”