Toyota’s Collaborative Safety Research Center to Launch New System Usability Research with Partners including University of Michigan and State Farm

Studies into driver behavior and health monitoring innovations continue Toyota’s focus on designing safe and intuitive advanced vehicle technologies

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (November 12, 2020) – Marking World Usability Day, Toyota’s Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) today announced four new research projects focused on enhancing advanced technology system designs to be intuitive, easy to understand and to safely engage with drivers. The new projects, undertaken in partnership with University of Michigan, Miami University, University of Nebraska, Texas A&M Transportation Institute and State Farm will support and inform a transition to a safe future of mobility.

Toyota’s CSRC is investing $1 million in research projects focused on creating systems that are safe and efficient. These projects will focus on enabling safer and more efficient mobility systems by exploring driver behavior in different environments, monitoring driver health and identifying driver error when interacting with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) technologies.

Data from each project will be shared across the institutions to help speed research, with the results made public to support the advancement of auto safety industrywide.

“These studies will help us better align advanced vehicle technologies with the driver’s needs and allow us to design and develop systems that are ultimately intuitive and easy for drivers to use,” said Jeff Makarewicz, group vice president, Toyota Motor North America, Advanced Mobility Research & Development. “By working with our partner institutions, and openly sharing our insights with the broader automotive, government, NGO, and technology communities, we believe we can help progress society’s acceptance of these new and promising technologies.”

Since its launch in 2011, CSRC has initiated 63 research projects with 31 partner universities, publishing more than 400 papers and presenting at multiple industry conferences. CSRC research has made meaningful contributions to auto safety industrywide, including studies into human factors on vehicle safety and the efficacy of active and passive safety systems, as well as the collection of driving safety data and development of new tools to analyze that data.

The new CSRC research projects include:

For more information on Toyota’s Collaborative Safety Research Center, click here.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly employs more than 36,000 in the U.S. The company has contributed world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 30 million cars and trucks at our 9 manufacturing plants, 10 including our joint venture in Alabama that begins production in 2021.

To help inspire the next generation for a career in STEM-based fields, including mobility, Toyota launched its virtual education hub at www.TourToyota.com with an immersive experience and chance to visit many of our U.S. manufacturing facilities. The hub also includes a series of free STEM-based lessons and curriculum through Toyota USA Foundation partners, virtual field trips and more. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Updated November 30, 2020

Cynthia Mahalak
734-660-5046
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