Researchers in Toyota Research Institute (TRI) have collaborated with Stanford's Dynamic Design Lab to conceive together the instincts of skilled drift drivers and automatic driving technologies. The goal would always be to build a range of active security technology and share it widely to ensure that Toyota and other auto manufacturers may use it.
The team at Stanford has some expertise in developing vehicles with some automation embedded in them. A prime example of the same is the self-drifting vehicle that they developed called MARTY, which was an electric DeLorean. This was based on a paper titled "Opening New Dimensions: Vehicle Motion Planning and Control with Brakes while Drifting, '' that was published by Stanford. ”The same team has now applied those solutions on a modern day Toyota GR Supra and the results of the same are just fantastic. Toyota Racing Development works in close conjunction with TRI to develop safer automobile solutions and this research with Stanford will accelerate Toyota’s cause for safety.
“Every day, there are deadly vehicle crashes that result from extreme situations where most drivers would need superhuman skills to avoid a collision. The reality is that every driver has vulnerabilities, and to avoid a crash, drivers often need to make maneuvers that are beyond their abilities. 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. This is the essence of the Toyota Guardian approach”—Gill Pratt, TRI CEO, and Chief Scientist at Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC)
Yearly, car-crashes lead to roughly 40,000 deaths in the USA and approximately 1.25 million deaths globally. Toyota aims to decrease the number. When most crashes occur in ordinary scenarios, in different cases, drivers might want to perform maneuvers that simply take their vehicle near to and, occasionally, exceed normal limits of tackling. When confronted with slippery or wet streets, professional drivers might elect to 'drift' the vehicle through a turn.
“Since 2008, our lab has taken inspiration from human race car drivers in designing algorithms that enable automated vehicles to handle the most challenging emergencies, Through this research, we have the opportunity to move these ideas much closer to saving lives on the road.” - Chris Gerdes, Professor of Stanford University’s Dynamic Design Laboratory.
TRI can also be engaging Toyota's engineering expertise in motorsports and higher-level development. Toyota Racing Development (TRD USA, Inc.) in the USA offers invaluable technical and experiential know-how in motorsports and wandering. Separately, TRI is additionally working together with Toyota Motor Corporation's Vehicle Dynamics Control Team--in Japan--to employ the drifting design for prospective Toyota vehicles.
