Kiyotaka Ise speaking at the conference.

The research and development of intelligent vehicle and mobility technologies will get a major boost in an ambitious new collaboration between Toyota, MIT and Stanford.

At a recently held press conference, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announced that it will be investing approximately US$50 million over the next five years to establish joint research centers at each university. Additionally Dr. Gill Pratt, former Program Manager at DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) and leader of its recent Robotics Challenge, has joined Toyota to direct and accelerate these research activities and their application to intelligent vehicles and robotics.

Kiyotaka Ise, TMC Senior Managing Officer and Chief Officer, R&D Group, said: "We're here to mark the beginning of an unprecedented commitment. We will initially focus on the acceleration of intelligent vehicle technology, with the immediate goal of helping eliminate traffic casualties and the ultimate goal of helping improve quality of life through enhanced mobility and robotics.

"This partnership, directed by Dr. Pratt, is a great opportunity to work with two leading research teams from two top universities. I am very excited about what this new venture means for Toyota, and I look forward to more announcements in the future."

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