- Cabin Awareness concept uses millimeter-wave radar to detect
people and pets throughout the vehicle cabin
- Patent-pending concept introduced in prototype Toyota Sienna
minivan and May Mobility Sienna AutonoMaaS shuttle
- Cabin Awareness technology could help prevent heatstroke deaths
by alerting drivers about occupants left behind
PLANO,
Texas, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota
Connected North America (TCNA), an independent software and
innovation center of excellence, today introduced its Cabin
Awareness concept technology that uses millimeter-wave,
high-resolution 4D imaging radar to help detect occupants
(including certain pets) in cars and has the potential to detect
them if ever they're left behind.
The Cabin Awareness concept takes a unique approach to
in-vehicle occupant detection using a 4D imaging radar sensor,
mounted out of sight above a vehicle's headliner that can detect
presence of a life form in the vehicle, even after a driver
exits.
Specifically, the Cabin Awareness concept has the capability to
sense micro movements, such as a heartbeat, motion and respiration
of occupants across three full seating rows, the cargo area and
footwells. It also classifies all occupants according to size,
posture and position – supporting advanced safety applications. The
platform provides robust sensing even if the occupant is covered
with a blanket, a scenario which a passerby would be unable to see
the occupant. It differs from other technologies on the market such
as weight sensors, that can be prone to false alerts and
mis-detects, cameras limited by blind spots or other radar systems
with a limited range of passenger detection.
"Toyota Connected's talented software engineers and data
scientists are leveraging cutting-edge technology to bring
innovation and advanced technologies to customers' vehicles," said
Zack Hicks, CEO and president, TCNA
and executive vice president and chief digital officer, TMNA. "We
are extremely proud of our efforts to take this idea from the
drawing board to a full-blown concept, and, hopefully, developing a
technology that has the potential to save lives."
Real-World Testing
While Cabin Awareness is currently a concept, the feature is
getting a real-world trial through Toyota's partner May Mobility.
The autonomous-vehicle company is testing the technology in its
fleet of Toyota Sienna AutonoMaaS (Autonomous Mobility as a
Service) minivans at its headquarters in Michigan and will soon begin testing in public
AV deployments in Arlington,
Texas, and Ann Arbor,
Michigan, with additional deployments coming in late 2022.
Recently, May Mobility announced that a portion of the fleet
will be modified to become ADA-compliant and accommodate passengers
in wheelchairs.
"May Mobility was founded with a mission of making roads safer
through autonomous technology – and we've kept safety as our top
priority as we've advanced our technology and worked with key
strategic partners like Toyota," said Edwin
Olson, CEO, May Mobility. "As
we move closer to driver-out operations next year and continue to
scale our global business with more public AV deployments,
technology like the Cabin Awareness concept is essential for our
riders."
In the future, one possible application for autonomous shuttles
is alerting parents when their children complete a ride.
Conversely, a shuttle may delay driving to its next stop if it
senses someone is still in the vehicle upon reaching its
destination.
"The key difference with this system is the improved resolution
and accuracy, full-cabin detection and scope of functionality Cabin
Awareness provides," said Simon
Roberts, managing engineer, TCNA, who has spearheaded the
development process. "With the precision of these sensors, we're
designing Cabin Awareness with the aim of reducing false positives
and false negatives."
Applying Technology to Alert Drivers
In 2021 in the U.S., 23 children died from heat stroke after
being left in vehicles, according to the nonprofit Kids and Cars.
On average, one in four children that die in a hot car obtained
access to the car while it was unattended or not operational.
Depending on the circumstances, the inside of a car can get up to
125° F in minutes even when outside temperature is as low as
60° F. Studies show children's body temperatures rise three to five
times faster than adults. If left in a vehicle during the summer,
the inside cabin temperature can reach dangerous levels in just 10
minutes.
"We are excited to explore and leverage new technologies,
connected intelligence and existing safety platforms, with the
ultimate goal of reducing child fatalities in hot cars. This Cabin
Awareness concept has the potential to do exactly that," said
Brian Kursar, chief technology
officer, TCNA and group vice president, chief technology officer
and chief data officer, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA). "I'm so
proud of the Toyota Connected and TMNA's Connected Technologies
teams for developing this concept and believe in the talent and
dedication of our engineers."
As currently designed, the Cabin Awareness concept provides an
array of warnings to help alert the driver (and potentially,
passersby) to check the back of the vehicle if a living being is
detected. First, a warning light signals on the instrument cluster.
Then, the horn honks. Emergency lights flash. Following all the
early warnings, the owner may get a notification on their phone
through the Toyota app as well as text messages.
If programmed, Cabin Awareness could even send alerts through
smart home devices or send text messages to designated emergency
contacts assigned by the primary user. Further alert options
include having Toyota's Safety Connect® emergency assistance system
contact first responders through the integrated SOS vehicle
function.
The team is continuing to explore additional notification alerts
such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications and the
incorporation of smart infrastructure retail signage to further
expand the reach of this alert.
Born from Innovation
The idea for Cabin Awareness was born in 2019 out of the
inaugural Toyota Connected Hackathon, a 36-hour innovation event
that challenged teams of software designers and engineers to
ideate, develop and test real-world solutions. This winning idea
quickly grew support following the Hackathon, allowing Roberts to
assemble a team of engineers and further develop the
technology.
The Cabin Awareness concept also allowed Toyota Connected to
evaluate and develop hardware for the first time in addition to
building innovative software systems and creating new processes.
The Toyota Connected team evaluated millimeter-wave suppliers and
began working with technology provider Vayyar Imaging's in-cabin
monitoring platform.
Vayyar's high-resolution, single chip, 4D imaging radar is the
only solution on the market that has the capability to monitor an
entire vehicle cabin with a single sensor. The platform provides
exceptionally dense point cloud imaging, enabling developers to
independently develop a wide range of advanced applications and
deploy them remotely using over-the-air software updates.
Inspired by Space Technology
Inspiration for the Cabin Awareness concept came from microwave
radar technology created by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to
support underground rescues after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck
Nepal in 2015. In this
application, NASA engineers and rescuers were able to detect human
breathing and heartbeats under more than 30 feet of rubble, helping
responders know where to dig holes.
"NASA's use of radar technology was inspiring," said Kursar.
"The idea that you can listen to heartbeats using contact-less
technology opens up new possibilities to give Toyota the potential
to produce a service that is beneficial to the evolution of our
in-vehicle services."
"The Cabin Awareness program is an innovation first for Toyota
Connected and Toyota in so many ways," said Roberts. "The most
important goal we're working on, though, is to build technologies
that empower occupants and give them greater peace of mind."
About Toyota Connected, Inc.
Based in Plano, Texas, Toyota Connected North America
(TCNA) was established in 2016 to drive Toyota's global efforts for
an intelligent mobile society. With big data collected from
vehicles and analyzed on a cloud platform, Toyota Connected
humanizes the driving experience by providing customers secure,
seamless and contextual services, elevating the customer experience
while benefitting dealers, distributors, and partners. At the heart
of TCNA is Toyota's belief in human-centered mobility and a
fundamental commitment to personal privacy.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the
cultural fabric in the U.S. for more than 60 years, and is
committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility
through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500
dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 39,000 people in the U.S. who
have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly
32 million cars and trucks at our nine manufacturing plants.
By 2025, Toyota's 10th plant in North
Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for
electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the
road than any other automaker, a quarter of the company's 2021 U.S.
sales were electrified.
To help inspire the next generation for a career in STEM-based
fields, including mobility, Toyota launched its virtual education
hub at www.TourToyota.com with an immersive experience and
chance to virtually visit many of our U.S. manufacturing
facilities. The hub also includes a series of free STEM-based
lessons and curriculum through Toyota USA Foundation partners, virtual field trips
and more. For more information about Toyota,
visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.
About Vayyar
Vayyar's automotive-grade 4D imaging
radar platform creates holistic safety solutions for in-cabin, ADAS
and motorcycle safety. Powered by a single radar-on-chip, it
delivers exceptional resolution across an ultra-wide field of view,
enabling it to replace multiple existing single-function sensors.
The platform provides comprehensive detection in and around the
vehicle, simultaneously tracking multiple static and dynamic
targets.
Inside the cabin, the 60 GHz configuration detects the presence,
position and size of each occupant, classifying children and
adults. This enables Child Presence Detection, enhanced Seat Belt
Reminders, optimized airbag deployment, out-of-position alerts,
intruder detection and more. Outside the car (or motorcycle), the
79 GHz system supports most SRR, MRR and LRR applications including
parking assistance, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Change
Assist, Blind Spot Detection, Cross Traffic Alerts, Adaptive Cruise
Control and more, with an effective range from 20cm to 300m. Vayyar technology is multifunctional,
affordable and available for mass production. The radar-based
platform is robust in all road conditions, while protecting user
privacy at all times.
About May Mobility
May Mobility, established in
Ann Arbor, Michigan in 2017, is
building the world's best autonomy system. Their proprietary
Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) system is at the core of their
mission to help make cities safer, greener, and more accessible.
MPDM's proven track record has delivered more than 315,000
autonomy-enabled rides to date in several public transit
applications across the U.S. and Japan. With key strategic partnerships
including some of the world's most innovative automotive and
transportation companies, such as Toyota Motor Corporation, May
Mobility aims to achieve the highest standard in rider safety,
sustainability, and transportation equity. For more information,
visit www.maymobility.com.
Media Contacts:
Corey Proffitt
Corey.proffitt@toyotaconnected.com
Jacob Brown
Jacob.Brown@toyotaconnected.com
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SOURCE Toyota Connected North America