During its Advanced Safety Seminar in Ypsilanti, Mich., Toyota announced it would be putting an additional $35 million toward automated- and connected-vehicle safety research over the next six years.
The funding will be channeled to Toyota’s Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) in Ann Arbor, Mich., which has become a hub for connected-vehicle research over the last several years. Efforts will focus on touchscreen and sensor technology designed to both relay safety information to drivers and assist in vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication.
Since opening in 2011, CSRC have worked with industry partners to conduct extensive research on safety-related issues such as active safety, driver distraction and protection of high-risk groups. Specific technologies that have been studied include pre-collision and lane-departure warning systems and improved seat belt designs for all ages and body types.
A total of 34 projects have originated at the CSRC, with seven being completed to date. Originally scheduled to wrap in 2016, Toyota said the first phase of research will continue through 2020.
