Toyota Research Institute Releases Video Showing First Demonstration of Guardian and Chauffeur Autonomous Vehicle Platform

 Toyota Research Institute (TRI) has released a video showing the first demonstration of its Guardian and Chauffeur autonomous vehicle platform.

“Today, you’re going to see four different demonstrations,” says Dr. Gill Pratt, CEO of TRI, at the opening of the video. “The first two are going to be in Chauffeur mode.…The other two demonstrations are going to be in Guardian mode.”

The video shows the advances TRI has made with Platform 2.1, the next iteration of TRI’s innovative advanced safety research vehicle for autonomous driving, conducting several test maneuvers on a closed course. Platform 2.1 is the first research tool for testing both Guardian and Chauffeur systems on a single vehicle using the same technology stack of sensors and software.  Chauffeur is Toyota’s testing version of SAE Level 4/5 autonomy where the automated system is responsible for all driving tasks, while in Guardian mode, the automated driving system acts as a safety net for the human driver to help prevent an accident.

In the video, the Chauffeur scenarios demonstrate the test vehicle’s ability to drive itself on a closed course and navigate around road obstacles.  The “Truck with Hay Bales” test shows how the car can detect unexpected objects in its path and make safe lane changes to avoid obstacles.  “The Blocking Car” is a scenario in which the Chauffeur system detects a stalled vehicle in its path and another vehicle travelling at the same speed in the lane next to it.  Here, the system slows the test vehicle down to let the adjacent vehicle pass and makes a safe lane change around the stalled vehicle which is followed by the vehicle returning to the original lane of travel.

The Guardian tests show the system’s ability to protect the vehicle and its occupants when the test vehicle encounters a potentially hazardous situation and takes action if the driver does not react. The Guardian system also monitors the driver’s eyes for distracted or drowsy driving. In “The Drowsy Driver” scenario, the Guardian system detects the driver falling asleep at the wheel as the vehicle approaches a curve in the road. When a driver closes his or her eyes and does not steer with the road’s curvature, the system steps in and steers the car to keep it in the lane of travel. The second Guardian scenario, “The Reveal,” shows how the system can detect debris in the road ahead of a vehicle in front of it that the driver may not see. When the vehicle ahead swerves out of the way, the Guardian system perceives the obstruction ahead and takes over for the driver to steer the car out of the way, retaining control until the driver is able to take back control of the car.

On Platform 2.1, TRI created a second vehicle control cockpit on the front passenger side with a fully operational haptic drive-by-wire steering wheel and pedals for acceleration and braking. This dual-cockpit setup allows for experimentation of effective methods to transfer vehicle control between the human driver and the autonomous system.  It also supports the development of machine learning algorithms that can learn from expert human drivers and provide coaching to novice drivers.

Platform 2.1 also features:

• A new high-fidelity LIDAR system, from Luminar, that provides a longer sensing range, a much denser point cloud to better detect positions of three-dimensional objects, and a field of view that is the first to be dynamically configurable, which means that measurement points can be concentrated where sensing is needed most;
• An autonomy indicator designed into the vehicle dashboard with a consistent user interface across screens, colored lights and a tonal language that is tied into Guardian and Chauffeur;
• A real-time display of the LIDAR’s point cloud detection on the multi-media screen in the center stack; and
• An alert system in Guardian mode that warns the driver of impending danger and prompts the driver to take back control after the Guardian system takes corrective action.  

The video can be viewed at https://youtu.be/ajreRfot6co.

About Toyota Research Institute 

Toyota Research Institute is a wholly owned subsidiary of Toyota Motor North America under the direction of Dr. Gill Pratt. The company, established in 2015, aims to strengthen Toyota’s research structure and has four initial mandates: 1) enhance the safety of automobiles, 2) increase access to cars to those who otherwise cannot drive, 3) translate Toyota’s expertise in creating products for outdoor mobility into products for indoor mobility, and 4) accelerate scientific discovery by applying techniques from artificial intelligence and machine learning. TRI is based in the United States, with offices in Los Altos, Calif., Cambridge, Mass., and Ann Arbor, Mich. For more information about TRI, please visit tri.global.

Dust Off Your Gloves – It’s National Public Lands Day

The country’s largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands set for September 30

From national parks to urban trails, to local playgrounds and wildlife refuges, hundreds of thousands of volunteers will descend on public lands across the nation on Saturday, September 30 to participate in National Public Lands Day (NPLD) – the country’s largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands. Volunteer sites and information about the day can be found at NEEFusa.org/NPLD.
 
Organized by the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), NPLD, now in its 24th year, is a fee-free day for all federal public lands across America and many state parks. The event encourages people of all walks of life, families and neighbors, to work side-by-side to give back to public lands, with activities ranging from trail maintenance, to planting, to trash pick-up and more. The day also features hikes, bike rides, festivals, paddling excursions and other fun activities.  
 
“National Public Lands Day connects people to public lands in their community, inspires environmental stewardship and encourages use of public lands for education, recreation and general health,” says Diane Wood, president of NEEF. “A wonderful thing about the day is that it often draws people out to nearby public lands for the first time, and helps them discover a wonderful green space they can return to and enjoy throughout the year.”
 
For the 19th consecutive year, Toyota is the national corporate sponsor of NPLD. In addition to financial backing for the program, Toyota hosts more than 30 events at sites across the nation for employees, ranging from Oak Point Nature Preserve in Texas to Tombigbee State Park in Mississippi and The Leslie Science and Nature Center in Michigan.
 
“These events help build a connection with the environment and the public lands well all cherish, trying into our own challenge to ourselves to create a net positive impact on the planet by 2050,” said Kevin Butt general manager of environmental sustainability, Toyota Motor North America. “While each of us can make a difference in our neighborhood parks, together, through our combined efforts, we can have a larger impact on our public lands across the country.”
 
According to Wood, Toyota’s exceptional support of National Public Lands Day serves as a prime example of how a strong, sustained public private partnership can translate into millions of taxpayer dollars saved. In 2016, a record 200,000+ volunteers at more than 2,600+ sites across the country contributed an estimated $18.5 million in volunteer services.
 
In addition to Toyota, NEEF’s NPLD federal partners—the Bureau of Land Management, Department of Defense (DOD), the Environmental Protection Agency, National Park Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA Forest Service, and the Bureau of Reclamation—along with hundreds of state and local partners are set to host events in every state of the Union.
 
To encourage people to join the celebration, National Public Lands Day is a fee-free day for all federal public lands across America and many state parks. Everyone who attends an NPLD event at a federal land site gets a coupon good for free entry to any public land managed by one of the federal partners any time before NPLD 2018. Here’s just a sample of what you’ll find throughout the country:
 

• The U.S. Forest Service is teaming up with the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks (BCRP) and several other partners to install pollinator gardens in Baltimore City Parks. The project aims to rejuvenate the city’s dwindling bee population while encouraging environmental stewardship and promoting outdoor engagement.
• In Northeast Los Angeles, youth soccer players will give back to the park they spend so much time enjoying when The City Project joins Anahuak Youth Sports Association and others to host a bilingual, multi-cultural event in Río de Los Angeles State Park. Local youth, their families, friends and other volunteers will clean up the 40-acre park and enjoy a variety of educational workshops and other fun activities.
• The DoD is inviting families stationed at Ft. Meade, students who attend school at the installation, and military personnel to help with existing storm water infiltration practices. Volunteers will spend the morning weeding and pruning overgrown vegetation, removing invasive species, and replacing them with trees, shrubs and grasses that are native to the area and help filter rainwater.

 
The public is encouraged to follow and participate in the environmental stewardship conversation on social media using the hashtags ‘#NPLD’ and ‘#WhyICare’. Participants can also join the celebration online by showing their support on Facebook with a National Public Lands Day profile frame.
 

About NEEF
NEEF was chartered by Congress in 1990 to partner with the EPA to advance environmental literacy nationwide. NEEF’s vision is that by 2022, 300 million people living in the U.S. actively use environmental knowledge to ensure the wellbeing of the earth and its people. To achieve its vision, NEEF offers science-based, unbiased information through its own communications platforms, as well as a network of trusted professionals and affinity communities that, with their relationships and credibility, amplify environmental messages to national audiences. NEEF also implements environmental education investments in areas that best connect with everyday life: health, weather + climate, and nature where we live, learn, work, and play. Learn more at NEEFusa.org – or follow NEEF on Facebook (Facebook.com/NEEFusa) and on Twitter at @NEEFusa.

It's Electric: Toyota to Bring First Hybrid Powertrain Production to U.S.

$373.8 Million Investment in U.S. Plants Will Help Power Indiana-Built Highlander Hybrid

Toyota just upped the stakes to remain the top manufacturer of hybrid vehicles worldwide with a $373.8 million investment in five U.S. manufacturing plants that will support production of its first American-made hybrid powertrain and to implement Toyota’s New Global Architecture (TNGA) at its Alabama plant. Each of the projects is scheduled to begin this year and all should be operational by 2020.

The investments will include adding new production of hybrid transaxles (hybrid vehicle transmissions) at the Buffalo, West Virginia, manufacturing facility; expanding 2.5-liter engine capacity at the Georgetown, Kentucky, plant; increasing production of 2.5-liter cylinder heads at Bodine Aluminum’s Troy, Missouri, plant; and modifying the Bodine Jackson, Tennessee, plant to accommodate production of hybrid transaxle cases and housings and 2.5-liter engine blocks. The Huntsville, Alabama, plant will undergo a comprehensive upgrade to enable it to build engines that complement TNGA.
 
“This investment is part of our long-term commitment to build more vehicles and components in the markets in which we sell them,” said Jim Lentz, CEO, Toyota Motor North America. “This strategy is designed to better serve our customers and dealers, and positions our manufacturing operations to fulfill their needs well into the future.”
 
The 2.5-liter engines manufactured in Kentucky and transaxles made in West Virginia will be used in hybrid vehicles built in North America such as the Highlander Hybrid manufactured in Princeton, Indiana. Toyota remains the world leader in gas-electric hybrids, surpassing 3 million sales in the U.S. and 10 million globally.
 
Fifty new jobs will be created because of the investment at the Alabama plant. There will be no net gain of jobs at the Kentucky, West Virginia, or Bodine Aluminum facilities, but these investments will help to ensure the stability of the plants’ employment levels in the future.
 
"This investment across five American plants expands capacity for our latest TNGA engines, and localizes production of hybrid powertrains, a core Toyota technology,” said Jeff Moore, senior vice president for Manufacturing. “It underscores Toyota's confidence in the capability and global competitiveness of our North American manufacturing."
 
The total investment of $373.8 million will be distributed as follows:

Toyota Motor Manufacturing, KY – $120,960,000
Bodine Aluminum Jackson, TN – $14,500,000
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, WV – $115,300,000
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, AL – $106,000,000
Bodine Aluminum Troy, MO – $17,050,000

These projects, and others previously announced, move Toyota nearly halfway ($4.1 billion) toward its commitment to invest $10 billion in the U.S., as announced by Toyota Motor Corporation CEO Akio Toyoda in January 2017.

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 33 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than 46,000 people (more than 36,000 in the U.S.).  Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold almost 2.7 million cars and trucks (2.45 million in the U.S.) in 2016 – and about 85 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 15 years are still on the road today.

Toyota Marks 25 Years of Knowledge Sharing with North American Small Business and Non-Profits by Engaging New Sectors

Toyota Production System Helps Make Sustainable Organizations, Produce Jobs, Improve Lives

Ace Metal Crafts in Bensenville, Illinois, needed to find a way to reduce its production lead time.  Harbor-UCLA Medical Center’s eye clinic wanted to serve more patients. SBP sought to reduce the amount of time it takes to rebuild homes after natural disasters. These are some of the more than 300 organizations throughout North America that have collaborated with Toyota to find better ways of doing their day-to-day work.

For 25 years, Toyota Motor North America, through its Toyota Production System Support Center (TSSC), has shared the “Toyota Production System,” (TPS) the same operational philosophy and practices the company follows in its own factories to make automobiles.

The company started sharing its know-how with small to mid-sized manufacturers, later expanding and applying the system beyond manufacturing to government entities, non-profits involved in disaster recovery and hunger relief, and, more recently, healthcare organizations.

Today, Toyota announced that its knowledge-sharing efforts will now be extended to sectors including retail and construction, among other sectors in North America.

“Our years of manufacturing experience have taught us that small improvements in a process can make a big difference — and we’ve learned that this approach can help other organizations outside of manufacturing, too,” said Terry Horinouchi, president of TSSC. “Through our collaborations over the years, our partners have acquired the knowledge to feed more clients, build more homes, improve quality of care, gain more business, and preserve or even create jobs in North America.”

The goal of TSSC is to equip non-Toyota organizations with the tools to solve operational problems, maximize available resources, and preserve or even create jobs.  

Through philosophies of TPS, ACE Metals Crafts reduced its production lead time by 38 percent, retained its largest client and added more jobs; Harbor-UCLA Medical Center reduced the time from check-in to discharge by half for their patients and increased the number of new patients seen each day; and SBP reduced the amount of time takes to rebuild a home after a natural disaster from an average of 116 days to 60 days (48 percent improvement).

“Toyota engages other organizations with our know-how so that they can build a culture of continuous improvement,” said Chris Nielsen, executive vice president of product support and chief quality officer of Toyota Motor North America. “We see strong opportunity in organizations in sectors other than automotive or manufacturing, and are excited to see how TSSC can collaborate with them to help improve processes, maximize operations, build more resilient communities, and serve more people.”

To commemorate the 25th anniversary, TSSC held an event with various partners across sectors to share experiences and academia to discuss TPS and how it is applied to various organizations. Panels included, “Made in America: TPS in manufacturing and much more” and “TPS in Healthcare: Opportunities and Challenges Ahead.”

Priced for Adventure! All-New 2018 RAV4 Adventure Grade Starts at $27,700

•Exclusive Exterior Styling and Interior Features
•Standard Tow Prep Package and Available Cold Weather Package
•Arrives at Dealers Nationwide This Month

The outdoor adventure bucket list just got longer thanks to the much-anticipated showroom arrival of the 2018 Toyota RAV4 Adventure grade that adds exclusive exterior styling features with grade-specific interior touches to the RAV4.
 
First revealed at the 2017 Chicago Auto Show, the 2018 RAV4 Adventure slots in between the XLE and SE gas grades. On the outside, large over-fender flares and 18-inch five-spoke black alloy wheels with 235/55R18 tires are ready to play in the dirt. The RAV4 Adventure grade also includes unique gray lower valance panels and rocker panel guards, black headlight bezels, black fog lamp surround, roof rails, and exclusive Adventure badging. Drivers and passengers can enjoy the RAV4 Adventure while riding a bit higher – overall height increases by 10 mm, and ground clearance rises to 6.5 in., up from 6.1 in.
 
Exclusive interior features include carbon-fiber-like trim panels, leather-wrapped shift knob, “RAV4 Adventure” logoed door sill protectors, and all-weather floor and cargo mats with “RAV4 Adventure” badging. New and exclusive for the RAV4 Adventure grade is a 120V/100W power outlet in the cargo area which can serve as a convenient portable charging station.
 
The active lifestyle-inspired RAV4 Adventure grade will be available in front-wheel drive (FWD) with an Automatic Limited Slip Differential, or in Dynamic Torque Control All-Wheel-Drive (AWD).  Both versions feature a standard Tow Prep Package that includes an upgraded radiator and supplemental engine oil and transmission fluid coolers. When properly equipped with the available tow hitch receiver and wiring harness, the Adventure grade can tow 2,900 lbs. with FWD models and 3,500 lbs. with Dynamic Control AWD models.
 
As with all RAV4 models, the Adventure grade will come standard with Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P) and Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC). TSS-P includes the Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection function (PCS w/ PD); Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist function (LDA w/ SA); Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC) and Automatic High Beams (AHB). The RAV4 Adventure grade is available in five exterior colors including Black, Magnetic Gray Metallic, Silver Sky Metallic, Super White, and, new to the RAV4 palette and for an additional cost, Ruby Flare Pearl.
 
Additional available features exclusive to RAV4 Adventure grade include optional heated fabric front row seats with power driver’s seat, heated leather steering wheel, and wiper de-icer as part of a new Cold Weather Package.
 
The 2018 RAV4 Adventure is built exclusively at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. (TMMC) and will be available in dealerships later this month.
 
2018 RAV4 Adventure MSRP
 

Model #	Grade	Drive	18MY MSRP
4445	Adventure	FWD	$27,700
4446	Adventure	AWD	$28,400

 

 
Prices are manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRP) excluding the delivery, processing and handling (DPH) fee of $995. The DPH fee for vehicles distributed by Southeast Toyota (SET) and Gulf States Toyota (GST) may vary.
 
Limited Warranty
 
Toyota’s 36-month/36,000 mile basic new-vehicle warranty applies to all components other than normal wear and maintenance items. Additional 60-month warranties cover the powertrain for 60,000 miles and against corrosion with no mileage limitation.
 
The 2018 RAV4 also comes standard with ToyotaCare, a complimentary plan covering normal factory-scheduled maintenance and 24-hour roadside assistance for two years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first.

All-New Toyota Camry Ignites the Senses

Multi-Channel Marketing Campaign Taps Driver Emotions, Sensations with Striking All-New 2018 Camry – America’s Best-Selling Sedan for Past 15 Years

The all-new Toyota Camry is here with a striking new look and a hot new marketing campaign that’s set to tap into drivers’ emotions and the sensations they will feel when driving the vehicle. While purchasing a Camry continues to be a smart and rational choice, the 2018 Camry now delivers the magic and excitement drivers crave. These emotions are highlighted in the “Sensations” campaign, which compels drivers to love the new Camry for all the “wrong” reasons. The campaign will cover multiple media channels, including broadcast, cinema, social, print, digital and out-of-home placements.
 
Rather than telling customers how it feels to drive the all-new Camry, this campaign shows them through impactful and evocative imagery that clearly conveys a specific feeling generated by some aspect of the Camry’s styling, safety, technology and performance. The goal of the campaign is to introduce people to an inspiring, more emotional, more exciting driving experience that will make every driver feel special.
 
The fully-integrated campaign was developed under Total Toyota (T2), the total market model that creates a cohesive marketing approach between Toyota’s agencies of record, including Saatchi & Saatchi, Conill, Burrell Communications and interTrend Communications.
 
“The launch of the next-generation Camry is incredibly important for Toyota, and we wanted to create a campaign that matched its excellence and the excitement of the new design. ‘Sensations’ perfectly conveys what people will feel driving the new Camry,” said Ed Laukes, group vice president, marketing, Toyota. “Once again, our Total Toyota agency partners at Saatchi & Saatchi, Conill, Burrell and interTrend elevated our expectations and delivered an outstanding integrated campaign resonating with what Toyota envisions and what our owners will experience while driving the car.”
 
Broadcast
A total of eight broadcast spots were developed using multicultural insights aimed at a transcultural audience. The commercials highlight specific vehicle strengths while introducing customers to the emotions they will feel while driving the vehicle.
 
Four broadcast spots feature dynamic visual imagery along with legendary music hits meant to bring emotion to life and tell the story of the all-new Camry. In three spots – “Thrill,” “Wonder” and “Indulge” – the music of classics like Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now,” Roxette’s “The Look” and “What a Wonderful World” allow the vocals to act as an emotionally powerful narrative. In a fourth spot, "Wild," the powerful sounds of Suzi Quatro’s “Wild One” drive an exciting new vision of how it feels to drive the all-new Camry. Every spot is supported by near-musical sounds recorded directly from the Camry itself.
 
“Striking” and ”Rebellious” communicate the kinds of emotional highs the Camry can inspire, represented by high-octane beats and fast-action editing. “Strut” transforms a routine run for pizza with a cool slice of style. And “Captivating” captures the bond between parent and child as they discover together the thrilling features in their new car.
 
Digital
 
In the “Sensations” digital campaign, users are invited to interact with the creative in combination with unique video content. Additionally, an interactive ad unit will highlight various features of the Camry by providing an auditory experience delivered to mobile devices. When opened, users will be prompted to tap bubbles titled “rebellious,” “thrill,” “serenity,” among others, that take them into a series of interactive experiences with sound by a simple movement of the phone or finger on the screen. A different creative execution incorporates ASMR technology (autonomous sensory meridian response) – a tingling many people experience when listening to certain sounds – to magnify sensations, create rich sight and sound content and highlight the extraordinary features of the new Camry.
 
Social
 
An  innovative social media campaign takes a unique approach to targeting Twitter audiences. Short social videos, each coming to life with different emotion-eliciting emojis, will be targeted to Twitter users based upon their recent emoji use on the platform. The “Sensations” campaign marks the first time this advertising strategy – with custom-built creative – has been employed by an automotive brand on Twitter.
 
Additionally, a series of artistic snackable videos playing with visual metaphors for the feelings that the new Camry will provoke will be featured on Facebook and Twitter. Utilizing a variety of assets like snackable videos, stills and GIFs, Instagram will create a collage that displays the vehicle, its features and the feelings it elicits.
 
Print & Out-of-home
 
Print ads will use broadcast campaign visuals to push the emotional envelope for the all-new Camry sending senses into overload and encouraging drivers to indulge, wonder and stay wild. Using CGI (computer generated imagery), the Camry print campaign features nine traditional print placements along with an experiential magazine insert in targeted publications that allows the reader to feel the sensational impact of driving the new 2018 Camry. With the out-of-home campaign, the brand-focused creative prominently features the new vehicle and logo in front of a distinctive wall of stylized auto parts, utilizing a similar look and feel to that of the print executions.
 
About the 2018 Toyota Camry
 
The eighth-generation Camry has gone through a total evolution, from a proven, dependable and safe car to one that also possesses a more exciting and emotional character, thanks to its newfound sporty performance and eye-catching style.

The new Camry utilizes TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) which represents a completely new strategy to the way the company designs, engineers and packages its vehicles. TNGA retains all of Toyota’s traditional values of superlative build quality and safety while injecting a fun driving experience that plays on all the senses. The physical manifestation is the usage of a new engine, transmission and GA-K platform.
 
The “Sensations” spots are available for viewing here. View photos of the All-new Camry here. The vehicle is on sale now in dealerships.

Toyota Recognized as a Top 10 Company Changing the World by Fortune Magazine

For the second time in three years, Toyota has been named to Fortune magazine’s Change the World List. Ranking Toyota at #8 of the top 50 companies, Fortune recognized Toyota for its hydrogen strategy to reduce carbon emissions and the mass market introduction of the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, the Mirai.
   
Based on the shared-value principle of “doing well by doing good,” the list recognizes leading global innovators that are making progress toward solving the world’s most pressing social or environmental problems as a key component of their competitive strategies.

“Toyota is proud to be recognized by Fortune, once again, as an agent of change,” said Jim Lentz, Toyota Motor North America chief executive officer. “As one of the world’s largest automakers, Toyota is in the unique position to shape the future of mobility. The Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is leading the way toward positive change and a more sustainable tomorrow.”

Fortune in partnership with FSG, a nonprofit social-impact consulting firm, the Shared Value Initiative, a global platform for organizations seeking business solutions to social challenges, and Professor Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School, evaluate and rank the companies by three factors: measurable social impact, business results and degree of innovation. The final 50 Change the World honorees were then selected by the editors of Fortune based on the magazine’s own reporting and analysis.

This marks the second time in three years that Toyota has been recognized by Fortune’s Change the World list. Toyota earned the number three spot on the inaugural Change the World list in 2015 for its success with hybrid vehicles. According to the Shared Value Initiative, companies that made in a previous year are “rarely considered for a second year in a row.”

The full Fortune Change the World list is available now on Fortune’s website at http://fortune.com/change-the-world and on newsstands September 11.