周身綁滿攝像機(jī)、雷達(dá)和傳感器的雷克薩斯600h看起來更像是一個(gè)研究項(xiàng)目，而不是一輛車。上周，這輛正在研發(fā)的車在消費(fèi)電子展（CES）上展出，但它其實(shí)只是豐田汽車公司（Toyota Motor Corp.）眼下在做的一小部分工作。豐田目前正在開發(fā)先進(jìn)設(shè)備、避免撞車，同時(shí)最大程度減少傷亡。

豐田在拉斯維加斯透露，它一直在密歇根州安娜堡市的一個(gè)研發(fā)中心開發(fā)高科技系統(tǒng)，并在一個(gè)占地面積達(dá)9英畝的示范村里按照真實(shí)條件進(jìn)行實(shí)測(cè)。該村位于日本富士東村的第二個(gè)研發(fā)中心。

盡管豐田是自動(dòng)駕駛系統(tǒng)領(lǐng)域的領(lǐng)頭羊，但豐田高管依然非常謹(jǐn)慎，避免對(duì)許多人認(rèn)為必然到來的大趨勢(shì)做預(yù)測(cè)。這些人認(rèn)為，未來十?dāng)?shù)年間，汽車將取代司機(jī)，自動(dòng)決策并行駛。

豐田雷克薩斯分公司的集團(tuán)副總裁馬克?坦普林說：“我們會(huì)逐步讓社會(huì)大眾和政府產(chǎn)生信任，這樣汽車才能被允許自動(dòng)執(zhí)行更多任務(wù)。這些技術(shù)性能必須恒定可靠，汽車才能讓人放心地自動(dòng)駕駛?！?/p>

今年秋天，雷克薩斯將開售下一代LS旗艦轎車。這款車將配有幾項(xiàng)特殊功能，它們構(gòu)成了豐田高管所稱的智能“副駕駛”。比如一項(xiàng)名為“高級(jí)預(yù)先防撞”（advanced pre-collision）的功能就能發(fā)現(xiàn)障礙物或危險(xiǎn)情況，警告司機(jī)剎車，并讓車減速以防止或減輕撞車。

豐田的商業(yè)戰(zhàn)略師吉姆?皮什稱：“93%的車禍都可以在某種程度上歸咎于人犯的錯(cuò)誤?！比绻緳C(jī)注意力分散或反應(yīng)遲鈍，就可能無法及時(shí)剎車以避免撞車。

新款LS中的幾套系統(tǒng)就能識(shí)別危險(xiǎn)并采取措施。車道保持輔助系統(tǒng)（Lane keeping assist）——豐田稱為LKA——在車輛偏離車道時(shí)能夠察覺，警告司機(jī)，并在司機(jī)沒能及時(shí)反應(yīng)的情況下自動(dòng)輕柔地掌控方向。

The Lexus 600h with cameras, radars and sensors strapped over its exterior looks more like a research project than a car. The research vehicle featured at last week's CES is one small facet of Toyota Motor Corp.'s push to create advanced gadgetry aimed at avoiding collisions and minimizing injuries and fatalities.

Toyota (TM) disclosed in Las Vegas that it has been creating the high-tech systems at a research center in Ann Arbor, Michigan and testing them under real-world conditions at a nine-acre model village located in a second research center in Higashi Fuji, Japan.

As a leader in the field of autonomous driving systems, Toyota executives scrupulously avoids predictions about what many say is inevitable, that in a matter of a decade or so, cars will be taking over the decisions and actions normally carried out by drivers.

"Step-by-step we will build trust with society and government so that vehicles will be allowed to perform more automated tasks," said Mark Templin, group vice president for Toyota's Lexus division. "These capabilities must be integrated with consistency and reliability before vehicles are trusted to drive alone."

In the fall Lexus began selling its next generation LS flagship sedan, available with several features that constitute what Toyota executives call an intelligent "co-pilot." The features, such as "advanced pre-collision," sense an obstacle or hazardous condition, warn the driver to brake and will help slow the car to prevent or mitigate a crash.

"Ninety three percent of accidents can be traced in some way to human error," said Jim Pisz, a Toyota business strategist. If a driver is distracted or slow to react, braking might occur too slowly to avoid a collision.

Several systems in the new LS identify a hazard and can begin taking action. Lane keeping assist—Toyota calls it LKA—will sense when a car is drifting out of a lane, warn the driver and gently begin to steer the car if the driver fails to respond.