Toyota's Future Car Design Will Use AI Technology

Toyota bZ4x. (Doc. Global Toyota)

JAKARTA - The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly widespread in the automotive industry as the latest vehicle design tool.

General Motors (GM), a giant US company, is considering using ChatGPT chatbots to generate their car shape.

BMW is also exploring an AI design concept that involves various design tasks for future production vehicles, although they still state that AI is not the only source of inspiration.

Nissan, a Japanese manufacturer, has adopted AI to assist engineers in designing their latest cars through facilities at Yokohama Lab, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.

After Nissan, Toyota recently announced the exploration of AI-based car designs using intelligence technology developed by the Toyota Research Institute (TRI).

Reporting from Motor1 on Thursday, June 22, Toyota plans to use this technology in the early stages of design, where different algorithms are needed to consider engineering aspects.

For example, if Toyota wants to make a new two-door coup, engineers can ask AI to produce some preliminary designs based on pre-defined parameters.

The parameters used by TRI include aerodynamic coefficients and chassis dimensions. These information are provided to AI via prompt text, and designers can also use specific style preferences, such as "rampping" and "modern".

TRI focuses on aerodynamic aspects that are critical to vehicle energy efficiency. Toyota stated that the use of AI for the early stages of design could help them develop electric vehicles more quickly and efficiently.

Avinash Balachandran, Director of the Toyota Research Institute (TRI) Human Interactive Driving (HID), said that although AI can inspire engineers in car designs, the design does not immediately become a real vehicle for technical and safety reasons.

"This technique combines traditional powers of Toyota's technique with modern generative AI advanced capabilities," concluded Avinash.