By Ashini K Ekanayake
Toyota has recently managed to come up with a new concept car, their electric LQ concept car, which aims to satisfy the “human need to be engaged emotionally” via an integrated artificial intelligence agent called Yui. The Toyota LQ is fully electric, and is equipped with an automated driving system at such a high level that no human intervention is required to drive the vehicle. The main feature of the concept car is Yui, which will provide passengers with a personalized experience by adapting itself and changing based on the riders’ emotional and physical state.
Front View of the concept car, the Toyota LQ
The AI features included within the concept car are numerous. For instance, there is an air-conditioning system integrated pithing the car which adjusts itself to adapt to the driver’s level of alertness and relaxation. The car also includes and augmented reality enhanced “heads up” display, presenting the present driving information, such as road signs and route guidance without the driver needing to look away from the road. The augmented reality aspect of this display expands this display area to include the windscreen in order to further reduce the driver’s eye movement, enhancing the overall experience.
Back view of the Toyota LQ
Rather than using buttons, the LQ offers drivers a safer alternative by interacting directly with Yui using interactive voice communication. For instance, the driver can use this to activate in-seat functions which are designed to boost alertness or reduce stress, to release fragrances or switch the lights in the car on or off. Yui can also select and play music based on the driving environment, as well as provide the driver with real-time information which is relevant to the driver’s interests. LQ also includes “smart seats” which are dubbed by Toyota as "a world first in seating technology”. These seats contain a series of inflatable "air bladders” which are able to work with an air-conditioning system within the seat which can aid in keeping the driver alert or relaxed based on the situation. If the system recognizes that the driver is tired, it will inflate the air bladder in the back of the seat, turning it into an upright sitting posture and directs cool air onto them. Once the driver is more relaxed, the air bladder will gradually inflate and deflate in time with the breathing of the driver.
Internal view of LQ
The LQ also has the ability to communicate information regarding the vehicle to its passengers through the roof and floor mat areas, where integrated lights within these areas will show different colors to indicate if the car is in automated or manual driving mode. Different lights of different areas will also illuminate based on the passenger Yui is addressing .
Toyota’s LQ aims to help the environment by reducing its carbon footprint. Not only is the vehicle powered by an electric battery, the concept car uses special technologies to clean the air of harmful emissions. The LQ possesses a recently-developed catalyst coating which enables it to purify the air as the car moves. It does so by decomposing ozone near the ground into oxygen on the radiator fan, reducing the source of harmful photochemical smog. According to Toyota, the soaring is able to purify approximately 60 percent of ozone contained in 1,000 liters of air on a one hour drive.