| Last Monday, Toyota Motor Corp. unveiled a new | | | | Takashi Yonekawa, a senior staff engineer at the |
| technology which the automaker claims to be the | | | | centre. |
| world's true-to life driving simulator with its safety | | | | The project was completed in September and until |
| features aimed at not just reducing but eliminating | | | | the demonstration, Toyota never allowed reporters |
| traffic-related mortalities. | | | | into the pod. The pod can also be seen via a glass |
| Toyota's demonstration was held at the Higashifuji | | | | pane in an adjacent room. Although the pod was not |
| Technical Center near Mt. Fuji in Tokyo. Toyota's | | | | moving, the moving images which are a true-to life |
| new safety equipment showed the participants | | | | depiction of 64 km of road in a 6-square kilometer |
| composed of journalists on how it detects unusual | | | | section of the surrounding area, it was almost real |
| driving behaviors like drunkenness and drowsiness. | | | | that the spectators felt nauseous. |
| The warehouse-sized structure features a | | | | On the same demonstration, Toyota also introduced |
| dome-shaped pod perched atop a turntable on a | | | | another safety technology based on Intelligent |
| track that slides in all four directions at angles of up | | | | Transport Systems (ITS). This equipment uses global |
| to 25 degrees to mimic the sensation of accelerating, | | | | positioning system receivers and sensors which give |
| braking and turning in different directions. | | | | way to communication between cars and road |
| The new Toyota facility measures 4.5 meter long | | | | infrastructure, pedestrians or other cars to reduce |
| and 7.1 meter wide that can be installed in any vehicle | | | | collisions. |
| model. The simulator is lined on the inside with a | | | | Also, according to Toyota Managing Officer Takashi |
| screen showing a moving, wrap-around view of the | | | | Shigematsu, their domestic rivals, Honda Motor Co. |
| outside environment that gives the driver and his | | | | (also makes genuine Acura body parts) and Nissan |
| passengers the chimera of traveling. | | | | Motor Co. are working on the same equipment. The |
| Other leading automakers like Honda Motor Co. and | | | | three largest automakers are expecting to test their |
| Daimler Ag have also developed similar technology | | | | products next year. |
| but it seems like Toyota has the edge. Toyota's | | | | Auto safety equipments are now the added spice to |
| product has the longest range of 35 meters from | | | | which automakers appeal to their consumers. Toyota |
| front to back and 20 meters from right to left says | | | | Motor Corp. is taking it seriously and on the lead in |
| Toyota engineers. | | | | the safety race. Last year, the biggest Japanese |
| "It still needs some fine tuning, but we aim to start | | | | automaker equipped its Lexus LS460 with a |
| putting it to use in earnest from next April," said | | | | pedestrian detection system. |