Toyota to highlight reading of driver emotions at Tokyo show

Driving sleepy? Hungry? Toyota will be highlighting an array of experimental technologies aimed at improving safety and anticipating drivers' desires at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month.

Toyota Motor Corp. manager Makoto Okabe stands in front of a image of the concept car "TOYOTA Concept-i" series Monday Oct. 16, 2017 in Tokyo. The use of artificial intelligence means cars may get to know drivers as human beings by analyzing their facial expressions, driving habits and social media use. (AP Photo/Yuri Kageyama)

Toyota Motor Corp. manager Makoto Okabe told reporters Monday that the use of artificial intelligence means cars may get to know drivers as human beings by analyzing their facial expressions, driving habits and social media use.

Such a vehicle might adjust drivers' seats to calm them when they're feeling anxious or jiggle them to make them more alert when they seem sleepy. It might also suggest a stop at a noodle joint along the way.

Toyota Motor Corp. manager Makoto Okabe is silhouetted as he stands in front of a image of the concept car "TOYOTA Concept-i" series Monday Oct. 16, 2017 in Tokyo. The use of artificial intelligence means cars may get to know drivers as human beings by analyzing their facial expressions, driving habits and social media use. (AP Photo/Yuri Kageyama)toyota

Despite concerns over potential intrusions into privacy, many automakers will be displaying prototypes of such technologies at the auto show, which opens to the public on Oct. 28.

Toyota's Concept-i series of models, on display at the show, is based on the Japanese word for "love," or "ai," which sounds like "I'' in English. The idea is that your car will become your friend, "more than a machine," Okabe said.

Using cameras to analyze images of drivers' faces, a car can deduce if they are feeling happy or irritated. It might expand and contract a seat to simulate the rhythm of deep breathing to calm a driver who seems jittery, he said.

Since people tend to make certain movements such as yawning or scratching their cheeks when they're tired, a vehicle could detect if a driver is getting drowsy. It might wiggle the seat or trigger an herbal scent known to be invigorating, Okabe explained.

Toyota said it plans to have some of the technology ready for road tests by 2020.

Japanese rival Honda Motor Co. is also showing several concept models with similar technologies. The NeuV can determine stress levels from drivers' facial expressions and voice tones, learning their lifestyles and preferences. So it might make suggestions, "realizing natural communication between driver and mobility," a company release said.

Despite such futuristic talk, the most vehicles around the world now can do with automated technology so far is using sensors to change lanes or back safely into parking lots or stopping before crashing.

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automaker Toyota will oversee model certification at its subsidiary Daihatsu to regain trust among dealers, customers and workers after a safety testing scandal, Daihatsu's new president said Monday.

Toyota Motor Corp. will take a leadership role in various areas, including product development and procurement, said Masahiro Inoue, who took the helm of Daihatsu in March.

“I have been spending each and every day, vowing to revive Daihatsu,” said Inoue, who previously oversaw Toyota’s business in South America.

His predecessor at Daihatsu resigned after the allegations of widespread cheating on safety testing surfaced last year. A third-party review found violations, such as testing just one side of a car instead of both, had persisted for decades.

Production at Daihatsu Motor Co was halted by a government order until proper tests can be done and a system set up to prevent a recurrence. Only some production has since resumed. Daihatsu is known for smaller “kei" cars and off-road vehicles.

No major accidents have been reported in connection with the cheating, but the news has raised questions about oversight at Daihatsu, which is wholly owned by Toyota.

Inoue apologized and said he has visited plants, dealers and suppliers, trying to encourage better communication among the ranks. Dealers have complained customers are waiting, but safety comes first before chasing market share, he added.

He acknowledged trying to deliver products quickly to keep up with demand was one reason for the misconduct.

“All of Daihatsu, as one team, will work hard so people can feel our vehicles are safe. We are about to make a big change,” Inoue said.

Executive Vice President Masanori Kuwata, also from Toyota, said the basic way people work at Daihatsu must change.

“There is no one quick fix,” he told reporters, “but we hope to restore positive energy among the ranks.”

Yuri Kageyama is on X: https://twitter.com/yurikageyama

Daihatsu President Masahiro Inoue speaks during a press conference in Tokyo Monday, April 8, 2024. Daihatsu, the Japanese automaker mired in a scandal over fraudulent vehicle tests, will hand over its model certification duties to parent company Toyota, to regain trust among dealers, customers and workers, its new president said Monday. (Kyodo News via AP)