Toyota Showcases Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) At 15th Annual World Congress

Events Include “Smart Car” Demonstrations and Technical Presentations on New York’s 11th Ave.

New York, NY - Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) and Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America (TEMA) today announced additional details of its presentation and demonstration activities for the 15th Annual World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), being held November 16-20 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. With over 200 exhibitors, the 2008 World Congress will be the largest ever.

“The recent growth and refinement in ITS technology are great examples of how competitive companies within the auto industry, along with key suppliers and government agencies can work together towards a common goal,” said Ed Mantey, Vice President, Engineering Design & Electronics Systems, Toyota Technical Center, TEMA. “Although many technical, social and regulatory challenges still need to be met, I believe the state of the art on display at this year’s Congress will demonstrate how quickly and effectively the industry has progressed in producing a smart mobility model.”

Over the four days of the Congress, Toyota will participate in seven specific ITS demonstrations on 11th Ave. in front of the Javits Center. The “smart car” demonstrations will utilize 5.9 GHz Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) to create both car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure communications. The demonstrations include pedestrian and vehicle collision avoidance sequences, as well as a traffic congestion monitoring system that informs a driver of the optimum speed at which to maintain a constant traffic flow by sequencing all green-light traffic signals.

Toyota will also participate in eight educational sessions. Subjects will include efforts to improve the following:
• parking and pedestrian safety
• driver attentiveness
• drunk-driving prevention
• pre-crash safety systems

Toyota will host a corporate display booth on the floor of the convention center with a special focus on traffic environment, safety and comfort, through videos, display panels and other exhibits. The “i-REAL” personal mobility concept vehicle, which TMC is eyeing to develop to a practical-use level in the near future, will be a featured exhibit.

During the executive and special sessions, Dr. Hiroyuki Watanabe, TMC Senior Technical Executive will discuss the environmental challenges facing surface transport and the potential impact of ITS deployment. In addition, Masafumi Kizu from the Toyota InfoTechnology Center will present objectives, applications, technical requirements and current development status of wireless communications for vehicle safety in North America, Europe, and Japan.