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

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研發中心開發高科技系統，并在一個占地面積達9英畝的示范村里按照真實條件進行實測。該村位于日本富士東村的第二個研發中心。

盡管豐田是自動駕駛系統領域的領頭羊，但豐田高管依然非常謹慎，避免對許多人認為必然到來的大趨勢做預測。這些人認為，未來十數年間，汽車將取代司機，自動決策并行駛。

豐田雷克薩斯分公司的集團副總裁馬克?坦普林說：“我們會逐步讓社會大眾和政府產生信任，這樣汽車才能被允許自動執行更多任務。這些技術性能必須恒定可靠，汽車才能讓人放心地自動駕駛?！?/p>

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

豐田的商業戰略師吉姆?皮什稱：“93%的車禍都可以在某種程度上歸咎于人犯的錯誤?！比绻緳C注意力分散或反應遲鈍，就可能無法及時剎車以避免撞車。

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

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.