The vehicle is the base for two of TRI’s self-driving research paths: Chauffeur and Guardian. Chauffeur is research into Level 4 self-driving, where the car is restricted to certain geographical areas like a city or interstates, as well as Level 5 autonomy, which would work anywhere. Guardian is a driver-assist system that monitors the environment around the vehicle, alerting the driver to potential hazards and stepping in to assist with crash avoidance when necessary.

Toyota thinks Guardian’s research will be deployed more quickly than Chauffeur. Similar tech is available in many cars today in safety features like Automatic Emergency Braking.