Have you ever bonded with your car so much that you kind of felt that your car is your best friend in the world? Well, that dream may soon come true because Toyota will be showing off a new concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show 2019. The catch? This baby is able to be your best friend. 

Dubbed the Toyota LQ Concept, the car is equipped with automated driving capabilities and the latest version of Toyota’s onboard artificial intelligence agent named “Yui” – an interactive AI designed to learn from the driver and deliver a personalised mobility experience.

“In the past, our love for cars was built on their ability to take us to distant places and enable our adventures. With the LQ, we are proud to propose a vehicle that can deliver a personalised experience, meet each driver’s unique mobility needs and build an even stronger bond between car and driver” said Daisuke Ido, the development leader of the LQ said.

Toyota claims that this one of a kind car is able to “deliver a personalised mobility experience” with technology to “build an emotional bond between car and driver” by learning from and responding to individual preferences and needs.

The LQ’s artificial intelligence agent, Yui and its automated driving technology have been developed in partnership with Toyota Research Institute. Color-coded interior lights also help Yui communicate with the driver and any passengers — floor-mounted lights can change color to indicate which party the car’s AI-powered assistant is addressing, for instance, and exterior lights, including a programmable pattern projector installed in the headlights, can visually “talk” to people outside the car.

One exciting new feature is an air-conditioned seating system that self-adjusts according to driver levels of alertness and relaxation, which may very well be the first in the world. The LQ incorporates a newly designed seating system that can inflate air bladders embedded in the seat to put the driver in a more upright pose, and to blast them with cold air when attentiveness is key. When it’s not, however, the air bladders mimic a slow breathing rhythm, inflating and deflating gradually to promote a relaxed breathing pattern for the driver, too.

Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly important in vehicles, touching everything from drive to infotainment systems. There are other carmakers who are embracing AI as well. Mercedes-Benz is currently rolling out its latest MBUX infotainment system, which uses artificial intelligence to learn what the driver wants and customise a virtual personal assistant. Kia created a concept car that had a “space of emotive driving” that could monitor an occupant’s emotional state by monitoring the heart rate, facial expressions and the electrical conductivity of the skin.

Of course, the Toyota LQ is still just a concept car, so many of these technologies are a blend of theory and practice at this stage. But Toyota seems intent on a vision of the automotive future where your car is both functional and friendly, and we totally cannot wait for it. 

What do you think about the AI-powered car of the future? Leave a comment below!