Toyota LQ Concept (2019)

Toyota LQ Concept

Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) announced the "LQ", a concept vehicle that leverages advanced technology to build an emotional bond between car and driver. The next generation of the Toyota "Concept-i", a concept vehicle first exhibited at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show, LQ is equipped with automated driving capabilities and "Yui," a powerful artificial intelligence-powered interactive agent designed to learn from the driver and deliver a personalized mobility experience.

"In the past, our love for cars was built on their ability to take us to distant places and enable our adventures," said LQ development leader Daisuke Ido. "Advanced technology gives us the power to match customer lifestyles with new opportunities for excitement and engagement. With the LQ, we are proud to propose a vehicle that can deliver a personalized experience, meet each driver's unique mobility needs, and build an even stronger bond between car and driver."

As a mobility company, Toyota believes that when people are free to move, anything is possible. This vision is built on an understanding that mobility goes beyond physical transportation to include the human need to be moved and engaged emotionally.

LQ follows this philosophy under a core development theme of "Learn, Grow, Love." Yui and LQ's automated driving technology, both developed in partnership with Toyota Research Institute (TRI), combine to create a unique mobility experience that builds the relationship between vehicle and driver by learning from and responding to individual preferences and needs. The name expresses Toyota's hope that this approach will "cue" the development of future vehicles that enhance the relationship between car and driver.

LQ will be on public display at the "Future Expo", a special exhibition of the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show. In addition, Toyota announced "Toyota Yui Project Tours 2020", a public test-drive event scheduled to run from June to September 2020. The public will have the opportunity to register for a chance to be selected to experience the LQ and the "Yui" AI. By using a smartphone app in advance to provide their interests and preferences, selected participants will join a test drive of the "LQ" with "Yui".

Design

The Toyota LQ cabin is designed with a futuristic, forward-projecting silhouette that puts Yui at the center of the instrument panel, with lines that flow from the inside of the vehicle out across its exterior.

The minimalist interior is smooth and sleek, with key elements like air conditioner vents hidden behind invisible registers. The 3D-printed center console is reinforced using the design technique of topology optimization, which provides optimal strength and supports an advanced vehicle interior with fewer support structures visible to the driver. The exterior doors feature glass that seamlessly connects with the interior of the vehicle, creating an integrated, elegant design.

Yui Mobility Expert and AI Agent

LQ features an on-board artificial intelligence agent named "Yui" that provides a personalized mobility experience based on the driver's emotional state and alertness. In order to ensure safety and comfort, the AI can engage with the driver using interactive voice communications, in-seat functions designed to increase alertness or reduce stress, in-vehicle illumination, air conditioning, fragrances and other human-machine interactions (HMI). Yui can also select and play music based on the driving environment and provide real-time information on topics of interest to the driver.

In addition to research conducted at TRI, Toyota received support from the following companies in the development and implementation of Yui:

• JTB Corporation - Provided facility information and driving routes suitable to meet customer preferences;
• AWA Co., Ltd. - Offered streaming music suitable for vehicle driving routes and customer preferences
• NTT DoCoMo, Inc. - Provided a high-speed and stable communication environment by installing a 5G base station at the test drive base