Yahoo Autos This Is Toyota's New Lexus LS Autonomous Test Car
Toyota's autonomous-driving development team has some shiny new wheels. The latest test vehicle for the Toyota Research Institute, called P4, is based on the new-generation Lexus LS flagship luxury sedan. It replaces the previous-generation LS that had been used until recently as a prototype test bed for self-driving tech.
The new modified LS500h hybrid is painted in white and wears "Toyota Research Institute" graphics, a roof-mounted assembly with tons of cameras and sensors, and sensors added onto the front fenders.
Compared with its predecessor, the new car is said to pack more computing power, and the processors now draw energy from the hybrid battery pack rather than from the 12-volt auxiliary battery. The computing system, mounted in the trunk, now takes up less space than before. The P4's wide range of cameras and sensors include a carryover lidar sensing system with eight scanners, a radar system with a better field of view, imaging sensors with new chip technology, and two additional cameras. One of the new cameras faces forward and the other faces to the rear.
Toyota splits its autonomous-driving development into two categories: Guardian, which focuses on driver-assist technologies to aid the driver and improve safety, and Chauffeur, which aims to remove the driver from the equation entirely. These approximately equate to Level 2 and Level 4 on the scale of vehicle autonomy.
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