How Toyota & NTT use AI to Create a Zero-Accident Society

As urban centres across the world struggle with traffic congestion and road safety concerns, technology firms and car manufacturers are increasingly joining forces to develop solutions that could revolutionise transportation.

These collaborative efforts aim to create safer, more efficient mobility systems that could potentially eliminate traffic accidents entirely, addressing a critical global issue that claims millions of lives annually.

In a move towards this ambitious goal, Toyota Motor Corporation and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) have announced a joint initiative to develop a comprehensive mobility AI platform.

This collaboration between Japan's largest automaker and its leading telecommunications company represents a big investment in the future of transportation technology, combining Toyota's automotive expertise with NTT's advanced telecommunications infrastructure.

Toyota & NTT’s commitment to road safety

Toyota and NTT have pledged to invest 500 billion yen (US$3.3bn) in the development of their mobility AI platform by 2030.

This substantial financial commitment underscores the importance both companies place on creating a society with zero traffic accidents.

The joint initiative will focus on developing AI-based autonomous driving technology, with the aim of standardising requirements for safe and secure mobility services.

According to the companies, the platform will focus on key elements, including: 

Infrastructure collaboration
A three-pronged approach to prevent collisions at blind intersections and other high-risk areas.
This involves integrating vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure, and infrastructure-to-infrastructure communication systems.

Advanced driving support systems
​​​​​​​Development of data-driven, AI-powered automated driving systems.
These systems continuously learn and adapt based on vast amounts of real-time driving data, enhancing their ability to predict and prevent potential accidents.
Work on the project is set to begin in 2025, with the goal of initiating collaborations with various partners by 2028.
The companies are targeting widespread adoption of the technology from 2030 onwards, signalling a long-term commitment to transforming road safety on a global scale.

Integrating mobility, AI and telecommunications

The mobility AI platform aims to connect people, vehicles and infrastructure to create a safer and more sustainable transportation ecosystem.

“Transmitting large amounts of data will be crucial as software-defined vehicles become more common”, says Toyota Chief Executive Officer Koji Sato during the briefing in Tokyo.

Toyota, known for its expertise in automotive manufacturing, is developing software-defined vehicles (SDVs) with a primary focus on safety and security.

Meanwhile NTT, leveraging its strengths in telecommunications, will contribute to building the necessary infrastructure for the platform.

This includes high-speed, high-quality communication networks, AI infrastructure for processing vast amounts of data and computing infrastructure.

Key components of the mobility AI platform include:

Distributed computing platform
A network of data centres strategically located to analyse and process enormous volumes of data using AI.
This utilises NTT's IOWN optical communication technology for efficient data transfer.
By positioning these centres in areas with abundant renewable energy sources, the platform aims to achieve localised electricity consumption and promote sustainable energy use in data processing.

Intelligent communication infrastructure
A comprehensive system designed to facilitate seamless communication across various traffic environments, including urban, rural, and suburban areas.
This infrastructure ensures highly reliable, low-latency communication for large data volumes, essential for real-time decision-making in autonomous vehicles.

AI infrastructure
​​​​​​​An advanced platform that leverages the distributed computing and intelligent communication infrastructures to create a mobility AI system.
This system learns from and makes inferences based on diverse data inputs from the human mobility infrastructure, continuously improving its ability to enhance road safety.

The collaboration will also utilise NTT's IOWN (Innovative Optical and Wireless Network) technology, which employs optical communications to handle large volumes of data efficiently.

This advanced infrastructure will enable the processing and analysis of real-time data from vehicles and road infrastructure, allowing for rapid response to potential hazards.

The platform's AI capabilities will be designed to anticipate accidents before they occur, potentially taking control of vehicles to avoid collisions.

Industry progression, implications and future outlook

This proactive approach to road safety represents a significant advancement in autonomous driving technology, moving beyond reactive systems to predictive and preventative measures.

Toyota's involvement in this project additionally builds on its existing work in advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).

The company's Mirai fuel-cell vehicle, for instance, has been equipped with hands-free driving functionality since 2021, demonstrating Toyota's commitment to pushing the boundaries of automotive technology.

The ambitious goal of creating a society with zero traffic accidents reflects Japan's already impressive road safety record.

With only 2.6 road fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants in 2022, Japan boasts the fourth-lowest rate globally.

However, Toyota and NTT's initiative aims to push this further, potentially establishing a new global benchmark for road safety.

As this project unfolds, it will be closely watched by industry stakeholders and policymakers worldwide.

The potential for AI-driven, connected vehicle technology to dramatically reduce road accidents could have far-reaching implications for urban planning, public health and the future of transportation.

Make sure you check out the latest edition of Technology Magazine and also sign up to our global conference series - Tech & AI LIVE 2024

Technology Magazine is a BizClik brand