Partnership to advance automated driving tech

Toyota and Albert Inc are partnering on big data analysis, mainly for advanced development of automated driving technology.

The 400 million yen (NZ$5.2 million) investment by Toyota in Albert will see it acquire new shares in Albert issued through a third-party allocation of shares dated May 30, 2018.

To promote the development of automated driving technologies, Toyota has been bolstering its organisation.

It established advanced research company Toyota Research Institute (TRI) in the United States in January 2016, and the Toyota Research Institute-Advanced Development (TRI-AD) in Tokyo, while also advancing its technology development centred on AI.

Meanwhile, Albert, as a group of data scientists*in the domain of big data analysis, has been providing optimal solutions to companies since 2005.

In recent years, it has been actively expanding into the field of imagery analysis in the development of automated driving technologies.

Through the business alliance, Toyota believes it will be possible to strengthen elements such as data analysis processes in Toyota’s development of AI technologies, expected to achieve greater acceleration of automated driving technologies.

“We believe that AI technologies are indispensable for achieving our vision of ‘safe and smooth mobility for all people’,” says Toyota executive general manager Ken Koibuchi, in charge of automated driving development.

“To bring out the full performance of AI technologies, it is necessary to skilfully manage large volumes of data. I look forward to this business alliance accelerating Toyota’s development of automated driving technologies.”

Albert president Takeshi Matsumoto says the company intends to support ‘safe technological innovation demanded by society’ through, among other efforts, the strengthening of a distinguished group of data scientists who aim for enhanced analysis.