Toyota said that it is testing a new automated driving vehicle called Highway Teammate and is expected to launch similar products by 2020.
Highway Teammate is a modified Lexus GS test vehicle that has already been tested on Tokyo's Shuto Expressway during a series of maneuvering trials.
The test vehicle is equipped with technologies that enable it to drive on highways from the on-ramp to the off-ramp.
Like most self driving cars, it uses on-board technology to evaluate traffic conditions, and is capable of making decisions and take action during highway driving.
The car uses road map data and it features several external sensors to recognize nearby vehicles.
Based on the data it receives from the sensors, the car automatically operates the steering wheel, accelerator, and brakes to achieve the appropriate speed and driving lines.
Toyota highlighted that it is ramping up its research into and development of automated driving technologies, to launch the products based on Highway Teammate by around 2020.
According to Toyota, three types of intelligence that is crucial for the success of the Mobility Teammate Concept which includes Driving Intelligence, Connected Intelligence, and Interactive Intelligence.
Toyota is one of the few automakers that have set a release date for the self driving technology.
However, most of the automakers including Daimler, Volvo, BMW and non automakers like Google have started testing their vehicles and technologies.
Volvo is also planning to launch the Drive Me project where fleet of 100 self-driving Volvo cars will be used on public roads in Gothenburg, Sweden.
