丰田研究院（Toyota Research Institute，简称TRI）是日本丰田汽车在美国地区的高级研究机构。今年1月5日，丰田(Toyota)介绍了这个团队的雏形，未来这支“梦之队”将指导丰田公司在汽车自动驾驶技术、人工智能、材料科学、机器人技术等领域进行高达10亿美元的投资。

目前，软件和数据是丰田Mobility Strategy（移动战略）的核心。”丰田TRI的CEO Gill Pratt博士在2016年拉斯维加斯国际消费电子展（Consumer Electronics Show，简称国际CES展）期间的新闻发布会上表示，“丰田进行了大规模的投资，这反映了我们非常重视打造安全、可靠的自动化移动系统。简单来说，我们认为丰田可以凭借覆盖生活方方面面的各种交通运输产品，显著提高所有人的生活质量，无论他们年纪大小。”

Pratt博士曾在美国国防部高级研究计划署（Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency，简称DARPA）担任机器人技术项目经理。Pratt团队最初的成员包括现担任TRI首席运营官的卡内基梅隆大学(Carnegie Mellon University)前任教授、DARPA署前任项目经理Eric Krotkov；曾为谷歌(Google)汽车项目编写路径规划软件的谷歌机器人(Google Robotics)前任主管James Kuffner；贝尔实验室(Bell Labs)前任部门主管、DARPA署前任项目经理Larry Jackel；美国麻省理工大学前任教授John Leonard；欧林工程学院(Olin College of Engineering)前任机械工程教授Brian Storey；麻省理工大学电气工程与计算机科学副教授Russ Tedrake，以及目前担任TRI执行联络官的丰田研发项目总经理Hiroshi Okajima。

目前团队中的所有6人均为TRI的受薪雇员，但Leonard、Storey和Tedrake将继续留在各自的大学，以兼职的形式为TRI工作。Pratt博士表示，未来团队还会有更多专家加入，包括专业公共政策与社会科学领域的人才。

此外，丰田还成立了一个独立的八人咨询委员会，由前任美国驻日本大使John Roos担任主席。该委员会的成员还包括前美国海军部长、网络安全专家Richard Danzig和华特迪士尼幻想(Walt Disney Imagineering)前任研发总监、麻省理工（MIT）及斯坦福大学(Stanford University)人工智能实验室主任Bran Ferren等。

Pratt博士表示，丰田5年内将对TRI投资10亿美元，作为该项投资的一部分，公司将投资5000万美元，在加里福尼亚州帕洛阿尔托市和马萨诸塞州剑桥市分别开设两个研究中心，分别从斯坦福和麻省理工大学骑车10分钟即可到达。未来研发团队的成员将在这里工作。

目前，TRI已经有将近30个正在进行中的项目。Pratt博士告诉《汽车工程杂志》，TRI希望可以在自动驾驶领域取得进展，因为该技术可以提高老年人和残疾人的生活质量，并最终实现零事故的目标。Pratt博士还是汽车“开发接口标准(Open Interface Standard)”的坚实拥护者，他相信通过统一标准，可以提升汽车与行人间进行通讯的能力。 

作者：Lindsay Brooke
来源：SAE《汽车工程杂志》
翻译：SAE上海办公室

Toyota introduces its “dream team” for vehicle autonomy and advanced research

Toyota Research Institute (TRI), the automaker’s new advanced research group based in the U.S., on January 5 introduced the initial technical team that will guide the $1 billion venture into autonomous vehicle technologies, artificial intelligence, materials science, robotics, and more.

“Software and data are now central to Toyota’s mobility strategy,” said Dr. Gill Pratt, TRI’s CEO, during a press conference at the 2016 CES in Las Vegas. “The scale of Toyota’s commitment reflects our belief in the importance of developing safe and reliable automated mobility systems. Simply put, we believe we can significantly improve the quality of life for all people, regardless of age, with mobility products in all aspects of life.”

Dr. Pratt is former program manager for robotics at the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). His initial technical team includes Eric Krotkov, a former Carnegie Mellon University professor and DARPA program manager who serves as Chief Operating Officer; James Kuffner, the former head of Google Robotics who wrote route-planning software for the Google car project; Larry Jackel, former Bell Labs department head and DARPA program manager; formerMassachusetts Institute of Technology professor John Leonard; Brian Storey, a mechanical engineering professor from Olin College of Engineering; Russ Tedrake, an MIT associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science; and Toyota R&D Project General Manager Hiroshi Okajima, who will serve as TRI’s Executive Liaison Officer.

All six are salaried TRI employees. Leonard, Storey, and Tedrake will work part time with TRI and continue in their university roles. Dr. Pratt said more experts will be added, including those representing the public-policy and social sciences disciplines.

A separate eight-member advisory board will be chaired by John Roos, the former U.S. ambassador to Japan. The board also includes former U.S. Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig, an expert in cybersecurity; Bran Ferren, the former President of R&D at Walt Disney Imagineering, and the directors of artificial intelligence laboratories at MIT and Stanford University.

Part of Toyota’s initial five-year, $1 billion investment in TRI includes $50 million to open two research centers located in Palo Alto, CA, and Cambridge, MA, “within a 10-minute bike ride from Stanford and MIT,” Dr. Pratt said. The initial team members will relocate to those locations.

TRI already has nearly 30 research projects underway. Dr. Pratt told Automotive Engineering that TRI’s goals include the advancement of automated-driving technologies particularly as they can help elderly and disable drivers and achieve the long-term goal of zero vehicle crashes. He also is a strong advocate for open interface standards to improve how vehicles communicate with pedestrians. 

Author: Lindsay Brooke
Source: SAE Automotive Engineering Magazine