Toyota’s announcement yesterday of its goal of zero highway deaths related to its vehicles was one of several made by automakers recently about new safety technology coming to vehicles, which makes the timing of the 21st Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress in Detroit next week perfect.
Major carmakers, suppliers and other technology companies will display some of the latest technical advances that promise to curb deaths, injuries and traffic jams.
With growing interest in driver assistance system, automated driving and intelligent highways that can make roads safer not only for motorists but also for pedestrians and bicyclists and wider use of smart technology linked to wireless systems.
The show has rented out Belle Isle, the storied island park in the middle of the Detroit River, to serve as a test track and showcase for new technology and technology that still being developed and refined.
The conference attracts academics and engineers from around the world as well as government officials and government regulators interested in the state of the smart technology that is becoming increasingly common and necessary on new vehicles.
Google, which has shaken up the auto industry with its research into automated driving, as well as manufactures such as General Motors, Chrysler, Honda and Toyota are all planning to participate with new displays of technology that are expected to transform the automotive business in the next several years.
The growth of the conference underscores the importance that carmakers from around the world place on the new technology, which experts say could change vehicles and the motoring experience.
Suppliers, ranging from small startups to large suppliers that command billions of dollars in contracts with various carmakers will also be on hand for the conference.
Magna is showing off a state-of-the-art rear camera technology with new graphic capabilities The company worked closely with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop driver assistance camera parameters and its cameras were created to exceed the fields while providing high quality visuals, aligning its technologies with demand by consumers for exceptional images.
(Toyota taking advanced crash-avoidance technology mainstream. For more, Click Here.)
Another giant supplier, Continental AG, plans to show how its technical advances are connecting industries, services and devices, infrastructure, logistic providers and information sources to intelligent solutions by harnessing the power of the cloud.
(Click Here for details about Tesla’s $5 billion gigafactory going to Nevada.)
Peek Traffic, a leading intelligent transportation system manufacturer, which is much smaller than Magna or Continental, provides traffic control software for the cities of New York, Chicago, Boston, Seattle, Montreal and Toronto, plans to show off its “Advanced Traffic Management System.”
Collaboration also is emerging as one the key elements of the technical changes brought on by the potential revolution in motoring created by new technology. Bringing the technology to market will require an enormous amount of cooperation, noted a senior Toyota executive.
(To see more about GM’s push for midsize truck dominance, Click Here.)
“At Toyota, we believe in the fundamental principle that when good ideas are shared, great things can happen,” said Osamu Nagata, president and chief executive officer of Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America, Inc. (TEMA), said this week at a safety and technology seminar held by Toyota in advance of the Congress.
“As new automotive technologies continue to evolve, CSRC is committed to working with its partners across the industry and beyond to help realize a future of mobility that is safer and greener than today,” he said.
