Toyota And NTT To Invest $3.3 Billion In R&D For AI Self-Driving Technology

The ever-expanding autonomous mobility landscape is seeing new players and partnerships, keen on commercializing the technology. In a recent move, two Japanese technology giants, Toyota Motor Corporation and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT), have announced a strategic collaboration and investment to revolutionize self-driving technologies.

The companies are set to invest 500 billion yen (roughly USD 3.3 billion) in research and development for AI-driven autonomous software, aiming to enhance self-driving capabilities through its "Mobility AI Platform" by 2028.

This ambitious project will focus on developing an AI-powered software platform to help carmakers quickly develop safe self-driving solutions. This partnership is a big leap forward for Japanese companies and their efforts to compete in the growing market for self-driving cars.

So, what exactly will Toyota and NTT’s partnership mean for AI-powered self-driving software? Let's have a look! 

What Did Toyota And NTT Announce?

Toyota and NTT announced that their joint project aims to create a "Mobility AI Platform" using a mix of AI and data processing technologies to collect and analyze data in real-time. This will help make AI-powered driving assistance better and speed up the development of self-driving cars across the globe.

The platform will include fast, high-quality communication infrastructure, backed by NTT's expertise, to make sure that both vehicles and road infrastructure are always connected. This will help reduce risks such as low visibility or blind spots at intersections, tying in with the larger V2X (vehicle-to-everything) concept.

The project will also build on the idea of Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs), focusing on AI for infrastructure, communication platforms and computing resources within advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).


The companies said that to reach these goals, they have planned a phased implementation method. The work on the Mobility AI Platform will start in 2025 and the platform should be ready by 2028.

Moreover, Toyota and NTT plan to work with partners from the government, academia and the automotive industry to get the required expertise to execute their vision by 2030. So, what does this mean for the self-driving industry?

How Will This Investment Benefit Autonomous Driving?

The Mobility AI Platform will make quicker, data-driven decisions to make self-driving cars safer and more intelligent. One way to do this is to use a lot of data from connected cars to find patterns and trends, allowing AI systems to make smarter choices that could lower the number of accidents on the roads.

The goal of the project is to bring together NTT's complex telecommunication technologies and intelligent communication systems with Toyota's automotive knowledge. This will help them achieve ultra-low-latency transmission system within self-driving cars. An image released by NTT shows the overview of the platform:


Toyota Motors has been committed to building Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs) and this move shows will give its cars the ability to receive software updates over the air without having to change the hardware. This adaptability will make Toyota’s AI-driven self-driving cars last longer and work better.

Moreover, this is not the first collaboration between Toyota and NTT; with the two companies have previously worked on 5G-connected cars and smart city projects. Being partners since 2017 has laid the groundwork for this latest venture.

What Did Executives From Toyota And NTT Say?

Toyota hasn't made any official statements about the project yet but sources say that both companies are trying to cut down on car accidents by joining their vehicle, infrastructure and telecom expertise.

According to NTT representatives, creating the "Mobility AI Platform" will need a collaborative ecosystem method involving partners from the public and private sectors in order to make society completely accident-free. The companies want to use cutting-edge AI, NTT's strong telecommunications skills and computer technology to create a platform that will help self-driving cars and other fields.

Conclusion

The long-term goal of the agreement between Toyota and NTT is to have "zero traffic accidents." To achieve this goal, Toyota and NTT will combine advanced AI-powered driving assistance systems using their "three-pronged infrastructure collaboration," namely infrastructure for computing, AI and communication.

Toyota and NTT will also invite university experts and business partners to drive innovation and standardize the mobility sector to accelerate the adoption and development of autonomous driving technologies.

Do you think that Toyota and NTT’s ambitious project will help make the future of transport self-driven? Will more businesses invest in autonomous driving with an eye toward the future?
Share your thoughts in the comments below!