Toyota unveils concept car with AI and autonomous driving tech

January 6, 2017

LAS VEGAS- Toyota Motor Corp. unveiled Wednesday a concept car that has both built-in artificial intelligence and autonomous driving technology, and is designed to interact with the driver. The unveiling of the car dubbed "Concept i," which the automaker says is capable of reading its driver's personality and emotions, came ahead of the opening Thursday of the Consumer Electronics Show, an annual global trade show held in Las Vegas. By learning about the driver through "chats" with its AI system and monitoring facial expressions, the car will engage in conversations on topics that suit the driver's taste and propose driving routes that include their favorite areas, the carmaker said. The car will also flash lights at the driver when it detects a =certain level of fatigue, play relaxing music to reduce tension and shift to autonomous driving when the driver is at risk. Toyota is aiming to built an experimental vehicle that features some aspects of the Concept i within the next several years and test its performance in Japan. A Toyota official said that by using artificial intelligence, a car will further deepen its understandingof human beings. At the same event, Panasonic Corp. plans to unveil an oval desktop robot embedded with artificial intelligence that will converse with people and imitate human mannerisms. The robot evolves as it learns through continuous interaction, the company said. The machine will also project video sent from a distance through built-in wireless features. Sony Corp. is planning to introduce products that will be rolled out this year, including a TV using next-generation organic light-emitting display technology. The products will feature HDR or high dynamic range, a technology that produces beautiful images through sharp contrast and a wide range of colors, Sony said. (Kyodo News)