2019 Tokyo Motorshow: Toyota's LQ Concept Wants To Strengthen The Bond Between The Driver And The Ca

Toyota announced the LQ concept vehicle which it will showcase at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show. This will be the next generation of the Toyota 'Concept-i', a concept, which was exhibited at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show. The LQ is equipped with automated driving capabilities and an artificial intelligence-powered interactive agent called Yui. It is designed to learn from the driver and deliver a personalised mobility experience which further strengthens the bond between the driver and the car.

Daisuke Ido, LQ Development leader said, "Advanced technology gives us the power to match customer lifestyles with new opportunities for excitement and engagement. 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."

Toyota's vision is built on an understanding that mobility goes beyond physical transportation to include the human need to be moved and engaged emotionally. The LQ taps into this very vision and the development too combines to form a better mobility experience. Yui and LQ's automated driving technology, both have been developed in partnership with Toyota Research Institute (TRI) and this technology learns from and responds to individual preferences and needs. Toyota hopes that this approach will see its future vehicles enhance the relationship between car and driver.

LQ uses the roof and floor mat areas as an intuitive communications platform to share information between the vehicle and passengers.

The LQ is equipped with an SAE Level 4 equivalent automated driving function.It also gets an automated parking system. The system eliminates the need to search for parking spaces by automatically driving 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 system also maximizes space in the parking lot by reducing clearance between adjacent vehicles to 20 centimeters.

The LQ is equipped with an SAE² Level 4 equivalent automated driving function.

Automated parking uses an on-vehicle system that identifies the current 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. It is of course an all electric car and will boast of a range of 300 km on a single charge. 

The LQ will be on public display at the Toyota Motor show and in fact the company will also host '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 its AI assistant Yui.