JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #137 - November/December 2020 - 44

FEATURE
natural fibre

Sustainable composite solution
for new Toyota LQ concept car
In late 2019, Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) launched LQ, a concept
car that uses cutting-edge technology to connect emotionally with the
driver. Composite materials are on board in this new vehicle, thanks
to a partnership with Covestro, which proposed a new polyurethane
composite concept with kenaf fibres. The solution is 30 percent lighter
than conventional material.

T

he Toyota LQ concept car is an update
of the Concept-I that was unveiled at
the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show
in Las Vegas. It is equipped with a self-driving
function and a powerful, interactive artificial
intelligence assistant called "Yui", specially
designed to learn more about the driver and
offer a personalized mobility experience. The
Yui assistant can respond to the specific mobility requirements of each driver to reinforce
the driver/vehicle connection.
The design of the concept car is inspired by
the "learn, grow, love" philosophy. Both the
Yui and the LQ self-driving function were developed in partnership with the Toyota Research Institute (TRI). In combination, they
give rise to a unique mobility experience in
which the relationship between the car and
the driver is shaped as the car responds to the
preferences and expectations of the driver.
With the LQ concept, we are entering into a
new automotive age.
Yui, the mobility expert
and AI assistant
LQ's onboard AI assistant Yui offers a personalized experience that is based on the
driver's emotional state and alertness. To
enhance safety and comfort, the AI assistant
can engage with the driver in different ways

44

through functions integrated into the seat
and designed to stimulate alertness or reduce
stress; interactive voice communications; activation of interior lighting, air conditioning
or fragrances; and more. Yui can also choose
and play music as a function of the driving
environment and provide real-time information about subjects of interest to the driver.
Safety, peace of mind and
comfortable mobility experience
The LQ's self-driving function provides
SAE International's Level 4 of automated
driving and an automated valet parking
system that was developed jointly with
Panasonic Corporation. (Once it drops off
the passengers, the car drives itself to the as-

signed space in the nearby parking lot.)
The AR-HUD function (also developed with
Panasonic) adds augmented reality (AR) to
the head up display (HUD) to provide a
broader display area. This increases safety,
since it minimizes the driver's required eye
movements.
The alertness and relaxation features included in the driver's seat (a world first) were
developed jointly with Toyota Boshoku Corporation.
Other state-of-the-art
equipment and technologies
The concept car is equipped with the latest
interface functions. For example, the roof
and the floor mats serve as intuitive commu-

Thanks to the digital micromirror device (DMD) in the headlights, the car can also inform
the passengers and people outside the car about things like the road surface conditions.

jec composites magazine / N°137 November - December 2020
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #137 - November/December 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #137 - November/December 2020
