Lexus challenges rival autopilot systems with its new Lexus Teammate
Toyota’s Advanced Drive autonomous driving tech that is only available in Japan, will debut in the 2022 Lexus LS 500h AWD with the all-new Lexus Teammate technology. The LS hybrid will come with a new hands-free driving system and advanced park, being the first Lexus vehicle in America that will come standard with features rivaling Tesla’s Autopilot and GM’s Super Cruise.
The newly equipped LS’s Lexus Teammate technology will support the partial hands-free, eyes-on-the-road operation by controlling the acceleration, braking, and steering. Lexus Teammate will also feature lane changing, lane following, overtaking, and slow traffic operation with minimal driver intervention. The Lexus Park Assist system will take over the steering, braking, and acceleration when parking the vehicle, whether that be parallel parking or automatically backing into a parking spot. It will utilize 360-degree sensing and ultrasonic sensors to offer a bird’s eye view of the vehicle’s immediate surroundings.
As a safety feature, Lexus Teammate will come with a driver monitor camera that keeps a virtual eye on the driver’s posture, driving position, head direction, and whether or not the driver is looking forward towards the road. If not, a visual and audible warning will sound to keep occupants alert, if the driver fails to interact with the system after a set series of warnings, the system will assume there is a medical emergency, causing it to slow down to a completely safe stop, it will turn on the hazard lights, dial emergency services and unlock the doors for the first responders. Cars equipped with Lexus Teammate have hardware that won’t be outdated soon and are eligible for over-the-air updates that eventually may incorporate new features.
Lexus Teammate hopes to achieve industry-leading advanced driver assistance functionality this fall with the 2022 Lexus LS 500h. We hope to soon see the Lexus Teammate technology featured in Lexus’ many flagship models in the future. One thing can be said for sure, the more competition we see in autonomous driving technology, the faster the rate of technological innovation.
