Toyota and WEATHERNEWS Join Forces in Joint Research Effort to Improve Accuracy of Weather Forecasts and Increase Driver Safe...
2019年11月1日 - 1:42PM
JCN Newswire (英)
WEATHERNEWS INC. and Toyota Motor Corporation began a
verification test(1) in Tokyo, Osaka, and Aichi on November 1, 2019
in which the conditions of roads and their surroundings are
ascertained using the operating status of windshield wipers, as
well as weather data. This is part of a joint research effort to
increase the accuracy of weather observation and forecasts, and
improve driver safety using WEATHERNEWS' weather data and the
vehicle data obtained from Toyota's connected vehicles.
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In this verification test, the wiper operating status of Toyota's
connected vehicles being driven in the designated regions is
visualized as a map and compared with actual weather data. Because
wiper operating status typically corresponds to the presence or
absence of precipitation, using wiper data has the potential to
allow detection of precipitation that cannot be detected by
standard raincloud radar. In the verification test, the
relationship between the wiper data and weather data will be
analyzed in detail, with the aim of detecting phenomena that could
affect wiper operation in addition to detecting precipitation.
With the launch of the Crown and Corolla Sport in June of last
year, Toyota has begun a full-scale rollout of connected vehicles,
and going forward, nearly all passenger cars that are launched
domestically will have an on-board DCM (Data Communication Module).
In addition to its own observation network at approximately 13,000
locations nationwide, WEATHERNEWS makes use of 180,000 weather
reports a day from users to provide highly accurate weather
forecasts. Through this joint research project, both companies will
provide weather data and the vehicle data obtained from connected
vehicles as information "that is useful during emergencies" on a
broad basis, with the goal of contributing to improved driver
safety.
A Verification Test that Aims to Accurately Determine Actual
Conditions Using Wiper Data and Weather Data Begins November 1
It is said that the rate of accidents during rainy weather is four
times that of sunny days(2), so the presence of precipitation has a
large effect on safe driving for vehicles. However, raincloud
radar, which is often used to detect and predict rainy areas, has
the disadvantage of being unable to detect rain resulting from
rainclouds in the lower layer of the troposphere (an altitude of 2
km or below) or small raindrops such as those that form during
drizzles. In such cases, it has been difficult to accurately
determine areas where it is raining.
In the verification test that begins on November 1, as part of
Toyota's and WEATHERNEWS' joint research initiatives, the wiper
operating status of Toyota's connected vehicles being driven in the
designated regions is visualized as a map and compared with actual
weather data. In past cases where low rainclouds produced rain that
did not show up on raincloud radar in the Kanto area, rain was
instead reported by users of the "WEATHERNEWS" app(3). The user
reports received matched closely with the areas where wipers were
being operated, showing that wiper data can detect rain that cannot
be detected using raincloud radar. We will also perform a detailed
analysis of the relationship between the wiper data and weather
data, and in addition to accurate detection of rainy areas, we plan
to make efforts to estimate the strength of the precipitation based
on the power at which the wipers are being operated, and consider
using wiper data for weather forecasting.
By using wiper data to accurately ascertain the conditions of roads
and their surroundings, such as precipitation and actual
precipitation strength, undetectable using radar, we aim to
contribute to driver safety by issuing warnings to drivers
according to the situation.
Toyota and WEATHERNEWS Join Forces in Joint Research to Improve the
Accuracy of Weather Forecasts and Driver Safety
In recent years, the growing severity of weather phenomena and the
resulting damage have become a societal issue, and there is an
unprecedented demand for local, immediate weather information, as
well as information on how to respond. To meet these needs, it is
necessary to determine more detailed and accurate weather
conditions in real-time. However, existing weather observation
tools have limitations in their installation locations and
measurement intervals.
Meanwhile, the development of IoT technology has ushered in an age
where various devices are equipped with communication functions.
The same is true for vehicles, and by gathering driving data and
condition data from connected vehicles equipped with IoT
technology, it is possible to detect phenomena that could impact
their driving and behavior.
Against this backdrop, Toyota and WEATHERNEWS began an initiative
that aims to use WEATHERNEWS' weather data and Toyota's connected
vehicle data to improve the accuracy of weather observation and
forecasts and increase driver safety. Rather than simply detecting
weather phenomena directly with sensors, as is done conventionally,
combining this approach with big data such as vehicle data and
weather data, and analyzing it, shows potential for opening a new
path for detecting the conditions of roads and their surroundings.
As part of this initiative, this summer, both companies developed
an AI algorithm that predicts flooded locations on roads, and
performed a verification test in October of this year.
(1) For this verification test, vehicle data gathered from vehicles
using Toyota's connected service undergoes statistical processing
so that individuals cannot be identified.
(2) Metropolitan Expressway Company Limited, "Comparison of Number
of Accidents on Sunny and Rainy Days"
(3) Local weather reports gathered from users of the "WEATHERNEWS"
app
About Toyota Motor Corporation
Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is the global mobility company that
introduced the Prius hybrid-electric car in 1997 and the first
mass-produced fuel cell sedan, Mirai, in 2014. Headquartered in
Toyota City, Japan, Toyota has been making cars since 1937. Today,
Toyota proudly employs 370,000 employees in communities around the
world. Together, they build around 10 million vehicles per year in
29 countries, from mainstream cars and premium vehicles to
mini-vehicles and commercial trucks, and sell them in more than 170
countries under the brands Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino. For
more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com.
Source: Toyota Motor Corporation
Contact:
Public Affairs Division
Global Communications Department
Toyota Motor Corporation
Tel: +81-3-3817-9926
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