As auto and tech companies race to perfect automated driving, Toyota is equally fixated on how the relationship between driver and vehicle will evolve as advances in artificial intelligence give rise to motorized robots with personalities.
An initial version of the automotive giant’s vision for the next generation of mobility is the Concept-i, a small hatchback packed to the rafters with advanced technology and most importantly an onboard virtual assistant dubbed Yui designed to curate the experience for occupants.
Given the rapid pace of high-tech changes coming to the auto market, it’s essential to keep the connection between car and driver in mind when planning new products, Bob Carter, senior vice president of Toyota’s U.S unit, said at a press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
“It's really easy to lose sight of why we build cars: We make them for people,” Carter said. “We think the most important question isn't whether vehicles of the future will be equipped with automated or connected technologies. Of course they will. The most important question is what is the relationship between those new vehicles of the future and the people who use them?”
The small hatchback, with a sloping profile, has a shape vaguely reminiscent of early-generation Priuses, though with a much more advanced look. "Butterfly" doors raise up to admit passengers into a cabin that's relatively spare with a minimalist dashboard. A round colored light at the center of the console indicates Yui is ready to engage with the vehicle's occupants. The AI-enabled assistant greets drivers and then discusses travel plans, provides navigation assistance, makes restaurant and activity recommendations, all with a goal of personalizing each trip. Should a human prefer to drive, Yui remains on guard to assist and warn of potential road hazards.
Over time, the system is intended to learn the preferences of each driver to become an algorithmic buddy and driving companion.
While the prototype (whose name in Japanese includes the kanji character for love) is mainly a styling concept, many of its features -- including aspects of the Yui system to its heads-up 3D display projected onto the front windshield that eliminates the need for conventional dashboard gauges and controls -- could gradually show up in Toyota's production vehicles.
The car underscores the idea that the experience of driving and being driven is about to change dramatically as the human machine interface becomes more engaging and more complex, said James Kuffner, chief technology officer for the carmaker's Palo Alto, California-based Toyota Research Institute.
"People have been anthropromorphizing their cars as long as they've been around, referring to their cars has having personalities and forming attachments," he said. "We think there's potential to take that even further, with cloud connectivity, with machine learning and AI embedded."
To prevent that experience from being an intimidating one, there's also a need to keep emerging AI tech human-centered, Kuffner said.
"The vehicles, machines and robots that emerge over the next several decades should support and improve the quality of life for humans, both in terms of safety and access," he said. "It's important to build a system that can adapt to your preferences. You can engage it as much as you like or you can turn it off if you like. You can drive it manually or it can assist you. It's your choice."
