Toyota Beefs up Research on Connected- and Automated-Vehicle Safety

September 4, 2014

Patrick Ponticel

Toyota's CSRC is partnering with Indiana University-Purdue to develop standardized test protocols for pedestrian pre-collision systems, including mannequins of different shapes and sizes that mimic real-world walking speeds and angles.

Toyota announced on Sept. 4th that it will pump $35 million into its Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) in Ann Arbor, MI, to focus on safety technologies related to connected- and automated-vehicle technologies. Researchers will explore the complex relationship between future mobility and broader social trends such as the growth of networked “smart homes” and the so-called “quantified self” associated with wearable devices. “CSRC’s newly expanded mission recognizes that the emergence of advanced technologies is radically reshaping the transportation landscape,” said Chuck Gulash, Director of CSRC. “We hope to help pave the way for the safe introduction of these new systems, not only by refining the technologies, but also by preparing the drivers who will be using them…” Toyota claims the research center is the only one of its kind in the industry, partnering with leading institutions across North America to help advance safer and more responsible ways of moving people and sharing the results so everyone can benefit. Since 2011, the center has focused its research on active safety, driver distraction, and at-risk traffic populations—including children, teens, pedestrians, and seniors—to better understand how to help protect people in crashes and prevent collisions. The CSRC has launched 34 research projects with 17 partner institutions, completing seven, and making "significant advances" in the areas of human factors, active safety, biomechanics, and Big Data.