GANGNEUNG, South Korea - Toyota Motor Corp. aims to introduce a driver-assistance system in 2028 as part of a plan unveiled Tuesday to develop autonomous-driving technology that coordinates with traffic infrastructure.
The driver-assistance system will alert drivers to potential hazards, including objects that have fallen onto roads and the risk of entering areas where accidents have occurred.
The Japanese automaker, which aims to eliminate traffic accidents by training artificial intelligence on various driving data collected from users around the world, is attending the ITS World Congress, one of the world's largest international conferences on next-generation transportation technologies, being held in Gangneung in northeastern South Korea.
The plan said Toyota will further strengthen predictive driver assistance in the future, with the goal of eliminating blind spots. It also emphasizes cooperation with relevant ministries and agencies.
The carmaker also said collaboration beyond the automotive industry is essential to advancing next-generation transportation systems and showed its willingness to strengthen ties with U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm Technologies Inc.
"There are limits to what individual companies can do on their own," Keiji Yamamoto, chief officer of Toyota's Digital Information and Communications Group, told reporters, adding that the company hopes that its plan will encourage broader public debate on the issue.
Toyota also showcases an initiative to install "smart poles" equipped with sensors and cameras at intersections with poor visibility that communicate wirelessly with cars and bicycles fitted with dedicated devices to encourage them to slow down or stop.
An experiment involving high school students is underway in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture in western Japan.
