Toyota Motor Begins Research on Future Car Design Using AI

Japanese auto giant Toyota has launched research into AI-based car design using generative artificial intelligence technology developed by the Toyota Research Institute (TRI).

The company said designers can leverage publicly available text-to-image generative AI tools as an early stage in the creative process.

TRI’s new technology allows designers to add initial design sketches and engineering constraints to this process, reducing the iterative work required to reconcile design and engineering considerations.

Also read: Honda recalls about 1.2 million vehicles over rear camera image issue

“Generative AI tools are often used as inspiration for designers, but they fail to address the complex engineering and safety considerations that go into actual vehicle design,” said TRI Human Interactive, the team behind the technology. Driving (HID) Division Director, Avinash Balachandran said: said in a statement.

“This technology combines the strengths of Toyota’s traditional engineering with the cutting-edge capabilities of modern generative AI,” he added.

In the example the company showed, a designer, via text prompts, came up with a series of designs based on early prototype sketches with specific stylistic characteristics such as “sleek,” “SUV-like,” and “modern.” You can optimize your design on demand. Quantitative performance metrics.

The research team focused on aerodynamic drag in their research paper. This method can also be used to optimize other performance metrics and constraints derived from the design image.

On the other hand, Toyota is planning an EV (electric vehicle) equipped with all-solid-state batteries, with a cruising range of about 1,200 km (750 miles) and a charging time of just 10 minutes. The Tesla Supercharger, run by Elon Musk, can charge about 320 miles in 15 minutes.