Japanese auto maker Toyota has announced it is going to invest $1 billion in a new Silicon Valley research center to be named Toyota Research Institute. Toyota's research lab will work to develop artificial intelligence and robots as part of the company's drive to create future cars and consumer products.
The new R&D center for Toyota's artificial intelligence work will begin operations in January next year at a facility in Silicon Valley near Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, U.S.A. A second facility will be established near Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, reported ITProPortal.
The investment, which will be spread over five years, is in addition to the $50 million investment Toyota announced earlier for artificial intelligence research at Stanford and MIT.
Toyota plans to hire 200 scientists for its artificial intelligence research center. The research unit will be led by high profile robotics expert Gill Pratt, reported IBTimes.
The initial focus of the company's research will be to improve car safety as well as to come up with robotic technology which will help improve everyday life, particularly for the elders.
"Our initial goals are to improve safety by continuously decreasing the likelihood that a car will be involved in an accident; to make driving accessible to everyone, regardless of ability; and to apply Toyota technology used for outdoor mobility to indoor environments, particularly for the support of seniors. We also plan to apply our work more broadly, for example to improve production efficiency and accelerate scientific discovery in materials," said Dr. Pratt.
Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota Motor Corporation, added, "As technology continues to progress, so does our ability to improve products. At Toyota, we do not pursue innovation simply because we can; we pursue it because we should. It is our responsibility to make life better for our customers, and society as a whole. I want to work with Gill, not just because he is a great researcher, but because I believe that his goals and motivations are the same as ours."
The announcement comes as leading automakers including Ford, Nissan and Volkswagen are all focusing on developing autonomous driving technologies that rely heavily on artificial intelligence.
