Putting tech in the driver’s seat
COME 2020, LEXUS LS WILL GAIN A HANDFUL OF AUTONOMOUS AND AI DRIVING ASSISTS
Autonomous driving is one of the hottest topics in the automotive industry and nowhere was that more evident than the Tokyo Motor Show. Concept after concept, from the Lexus LS+ to the Subaru Viziv Performance, emphasized the need to tighten the loose nut behind the wheel, the end game being to reduce crashes and the fatalities they cause to zero. As it stands, there are 1.3 million vehicle- related fatalities per year globally, with between 90 and 95 per cent being a direct result of human error or inattention.
The thrust behind autonomous driving is simple: Let the car drive itself in the most efficient and safest manner possible. As an addon at the Tokyo Motor Show, Lexus offered a drive portion to demonstrate how it is going to reduce fatalities. It all lies in the Lexus Safety System + A, with the A being new technology. Some of the features under this banner, such a pre- collision system with automatic braking, are offered in Canada; the A package adds a few that are not available at this point.
The first is CoDrive. It features dynamic radar cruise control, Lane Tracing Assist ( LTA) and Lane Change Assist ( LCA). Once the cruise has been set to the desired speed, the driver takes their feet off the pedals and activates LTA. It functions much like lanekeep assist, but with more sophistication and ability. As soon as it picks up the lane markings or a barrier, it keeps the car centered in the lane through steering input. If the lane markings disappear it has the ability to track the car ahead to keep things centred. Where it gets fancy is it taps into the GPS information, so it knows there is a curve in the highway ahead. When nearing the bend, it begins to slow the car to an appropriate speed.
Some of the bends on the highways around Yokohama, where the test drive was conducted, resembled those of a race track more than they did a kink in the highway. In spite of the severity of some of the bends, LTA negotiated them without missing a beat. It does, like most systems, monitor the driver’s hands through torque and capacitive measurements. If it senses the driver’s hands are off the steering wheel, which proved to be somewhere around 15 seconds on the drive, it flashes a symbol through the instrumentation and head-up display, telling the driver to get a grip.
The next part is Lane Change Assist ( LCA). It not only has the ability to dial in the appropriate amount of steering, it also monitors the intended lane to ensure there is enough space for the car and alters speed according to the conditions in the new lane. Once the system is active, the driver simply depresses the turn signal lever part way down to initiate the operation, and it works to the left and right.
The system, once it has determined the move is safe, dials in the precise amount of steering required to change lanes. Again, this is an assistant so the driver’s hands must be touching the wheel, albeit lightly, but the system does the physical steering. Unfortunately, I did not get to test the lane-change assist feature. Watching it in action, it appeared to function as intended.
Next up is the ability to recognize a child standing behind the car, one that may not have been picked up by the rear- view camera. When detected, it warns the driver to stop. If the driver takes no action the system steps in and brings an abrupt halt to the proceedings. The demonstration was simple, but effective. At the other end of the car, the system prevents the car from ramming a wall. In both cases, the LS stopped fairly close to the object, but with just enough space for a margin for error.
Finally, the car uses cross-traffic alert at both ends of the car. The rear is the same as the system used on the Canadian-spec LS. The forward cross-traffic alert is designed to stop the car if the driver is at risk of a collision when pulling into a blind intersection; it uses the sonic sensors to “look” for vehicles coming from the left or right.
Lexus will add to the autonomous ability of the LS with the Highway Teammate, a system that relies heavily on artificial intelligence (AI). The company says it will roll out by 2020. It consists of two key modes. The first is the Guardian Mode, which monitors the driver for the first signs of drowsiness. Initially, it alerts to the driver to the fact they should take a break, but it comes into its own if the driver does nod off, by stepping in and assuming the driving functions until the car is guided to a safe stopping point.
The Chauffeur Mode does all of the driving, including maintaining a given lane and speed. If it detects a slower or stopped car ahead it will make the necessary changes to go around the vehicle. The next step will be in the early to mid2020s, when Urban Teammate will replace the Highway Teammate. It shifts the system from being a purely highway- based assistant to one that can navigate all roads with a high degree of autonomy.