The Toyota LQ concept uses Level 4 autonomous capability and artificial intelligence to customize the motoring experience for the driver.

Toyota Motor Corp. revealed it plans to show its newest concept, the LQ, at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show later this month. It will be part of the event’s “Future Expo.”

The LQ is the next iteration of the Japanese automaker’s Concept-I, which it unveiled at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show. This new version adds automated driving technology as well as Yui, an artificial intelligence program designed to learn from the driver to “deliver a personalized mobility experience.”

LQ is designed to further integrate autonomous driving capability and AI to give the driver a completely customizable experience. That experience will cater to the driver’s preferences, habits and needs.

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“In the past, our love for cars was built on their ability to take us to distant places and enable our adventures,” said LQ development leader Daisuke Ido. “Advanced technology gives us the power to match customer lifestyles with new opportunities for excitement and engagement.

The LQ can actually park itself in a structure or lot, making life a little easier for the owner.

“With the LQ, we are proud to propose a vehicle that can deliver a personalized experience, meet each driver’s unique mobility needs, and build an even stronger bond between car and driver.”

LQ follows this philosophy under a core development theme of “Learn, Grow, Love.” Yui and LQ’s Level 4 automated driving technology, both developed in partnership with Toyota Research Institute (TRI), combine to create a unique mobility experience that builds the relationship between vehicle and driver.

The concept is supposed to deliver “a personalized mobility experience” based on the driver’s emotional state and alertness. The AI function will communicate with the driver to best determine their needs at the moment.

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For example, if the driver is tired, Yui will use interactive voice communications, in-seat functions designed to increase alertness or reduce stress, in-vehicle illumination, air conditioning, fragrances and other human-machine interactions. Yui can also select and play music based on the driving environment and provide real-time information on topics of interest to the driver.

The LQ also uses its automated driving features to make life a bit more convenient for users: It can park itself.

Toyota’s artificial intelligence system, Yui, can help improve driver performance.

It can automatically navigate between a drop-off spot and an assigned parking space in nearby parking lot, improving accessibility for those with mobility limitations including seniors, people with physical disabilities, pregnant women, customers with infants, and anyone who has difficulty parking, the company notes. The system also maximizes space in the parking lot by reducing clearance between adjacent vehicles to 20 centimeters.

The system identifies the position of the vehicle using multiple cameras, sonar and radar, 2D road mapping, cameras installed in the parking lot and a control center. Vehicle sensors and parking lot cameras also monitor for other vehicles and pedestrians on the automated driving route, automatically stopping the vehicle when another vehicle or a pedestrian is detected, the company said.

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In addition, Toyota today announced “Toyota Yui Project Tours 2020,” a public test-drive event scheduled to run from June to September 2020. The public will have the opportunity to register for a chance to be selected to experience the LQ and the Yui AI. By using a smartphone app in advance to provide their interests and preferences, selected participants will join a test drive of the LQ with Yui.

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