Five-year, $35 million research program aims to support safe transition to future of mobility.

Toyota’s Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) has launched the next phase of its research mission. The new research effort, named CSRC Next, will focus on the challenges and opportunities of autonomous and connected vehicle technologies over the next decade.

CSRC will focus on four research tracks:

1. The potential integration of active and passive safety systems, using advanced pre-crash sensors to improve and personalize crash protection

2. Building advanced technology vehicle user experience models for individuals and society in order to improve usability and strengthen the driver-vehicle relationship;

3. Studying driver state detection, working to improve mobility using metrics for physiology and health; and,

4. Applying big data and safety analytics techniques to develop algorithms and tools to study naturalistic driving data.

“The launch of CSRC Next reflects Toyota’s understanding of the importance of human interaction with emerging and advanced vehicle technologies,” said Chuck Gulash, Director of CSRC. “These highly advanced systems are radically reshaping the transportation landscape, building a relationship between drivers, occupants and vehicles as teammates working together safely and conveniently. We are excited to continue our safety mission by helping to support a safe evolution to a broader mobility future.”