Toyota to build driveless vehicle R&D site in Ann Arbor

Autonomous vehicle research is all the rage, and Toyota is getting in on the action with a new R&D center in Ann Arbor.

Excerpt:

“Although the focus of each of the three strategically located facilities will be broad, each will feature a different core discipline.  TRI-ANN will focus primarily on fully autonomous (chauffeured) driving.  TRI-PAL will work on what may be termed “guardian angel” driving, where the driver is always engaged but the vehicle assists as needed. TRI-CAM will dedicate a large portion of its work to simulation and deep learning.

The Toyota Research Institute is an enterprise designed to bridge the gap between fundamental research and product development.  With initial funding of $1 billion, it has four initial mandates.”

Read about it here.

And if you’re interested in the ethical implication of autonomous vehicles, be sure to check out Dude, Where’s My Driverless Car? The Ethics of Autonomous Vehicles, a conversation being held tonight (Wednesday) at the Michigan League, Henderson Room.