TOYOTA AND STANFORD TEAM UP TO DEVELOP AI-DRIVEN SUPRAS FOR AUTONOMOUS DRIFT DRIVING, EYE ADVANCED SAFETY SYSTEMS FOR FUTURE CARS
In a daring blend of tech and thrills, the Toyota Research Institute (TRI) and Stanford have taken strides into the future, marrying artificial intelligence (AI) with Formula Drift-style tandem driving. Their subjects: two inimitable Supras. The implications of this pioneering project go beyond spectacle, potentially revolutionizing vehicle safety systems for years to come.
Managed by TRI's Vice President of Interactive Driving, Avinash Balachandran, this groundbreaking project sets a new standard for vehicular safety. The principle behind this venture is a simple, yet powerful one: the physics of drifting mirrors that of a car on icy or snowy roads. Therefore, perfecting an AI controller capable of reliably executing drifts, may provide significant advancements in the way vehicles handle in hazardous circumstances when drivers may lose control.
This cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology is designed to solve and re-solve a problem up to 50 times per second, effectively determining the optimal steering, throttle, and brake commands for any given situation. This deep-rooted learning capability allows the system to adapt and improve upon every single trip on the track, an essential attribute in the incremental development of automotive safety systems.
TRI developed the control mechanisms for the leading car in this automotive tango. Simultaneously, the skilled minds at Stanford's School of Engineering were responsible for generating the models and algorithms responsible for the behavior of the chase car, the second player in the drift dance. The two vehicles communicate via Wi-Fi with the added finesse of tuning from GReddy and Toyota Racing Development.
Interestingly, the concept of self-drifting cars is not unexplored territory for Stanford. Back in 2015, the university's researchers built a DeLorean with a self-drifting capability. This current collaboration with TRI pushes the limits of that initial experiment, paving the way for a future where such technology is part and parcel of everyday vehicles.
The advancement of AI in the world of motor sports is a thrilling concept in itself. However, the real victory lies in how this technology can be redirected to create safer, more reliable passenger cars. Instead of just being a spectacular show of technology, the project's potentially transformative safety benefits suggest a future where the fear of loss of control on icy or snowy roads is a thing of the past - with AI's powers harnessed not just for thrill-seeking speed freaks but for every driver on the road.
The drifting project signifies more than just technology's infiltration into motor sports. It's a race towards the horizon of automobile safety, carried at full throttle by the vision and ingenuity of the teams at TRI and Stanford. It's safe to say that this unique blend of speed, spectacle and safety heralds an exciting future with no brakes in sight.