While most brands are hard at work developing autonomous driving systems at test tracks, Toyota's Research Institute is taking a different, less tyre-friendly approach.
In order to develop how well the system reacts to extreme driving situations, such as sliding on ice, the Toyota developed a full autonomous GR Supra drift car, and sent it sideways around a track.
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The result is not only extremely impressive to watch, but it also shows just how advanced Toyota's systems are, allowing the car to pull off graceful transitions between each slide.
According to Toyota, it offers a glimpse into what the future of autonomy could do.
"Toyota Research Institute (TRI) has successfully programmed a vehicle to autonomously drift around obstacles on a closed track, providing a glimpse into the future of safer mobility for all."
"Combining a deep knowledge of both vehicle dynamics and control design, TRI’s Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) approach extends the vehicle’s operational domain to the very limits of its performance. The idea behind this research is to utilize controlled, autonomous drifting to avoid accidents by navigating sudden obstacles or hazardous road conditions like black ice."
Details of how exactly the GR Supra has been modified to take on this task haven't been revealed, but we can see that it's wearing a rather extreme widebody kit.
It's also likely that the BMW-sourced twin-turbo 3.0-litre engine also received a few upgrades to push extra power down to the rear wheels.