Tokyo, Japan, November 2, 2017
Renesas Electronics Corporation, a supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, announced that its automotive technologies will drive Toyota Motor Corporation’s (TMC) autonomous vehicles, which are presently under development and scheduled for commercial launch in 2020.
Selected by Toyota and Denso Corporation, Renesas’ autonomous-driving vehicle solution for Toyota’s autonomous vehicles combines the R-Car system-on-chip (SoC), which serves as an electronic brain for in-vehicle infotainment and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), and the RH850 microcontroller (MCU) for automotive control. This combination delivers a comprehensive semiconductor solution that covers peripheral recognition, driving judgements, and body control.
As the leading global supplier of automotive processors (MCUs and SoCs), Renesas offers highly advanced technologies for use in increasingly critical areas for autonomous driving, such as security technology to protect against cyber-attacks and functional safety technology to predict system failures.
Recognising the depth of advanced automotive development technology and expertise that Renesas has demonstrated over the years, Toyota selected Renesas as the key semiconductor supplier for its “Highway Teammate”, an autonomous-driving prototype car designed to merge, pass, change lanes, and perform other actions during highway driving, under supervision. The R-Car SoC has been selected for Denso’s engine control unit (ECU), which will be used for Toyota’s upcoming autonomous-driving vehicles. The R-Car SoC will function as the electronic brain for the autonomous-driving system, providing highly accurate intelligence on the vehicle’s position within its environment and making real-time decisions on vehicle control and active safety maneuvers based on sensor data. The RH850 was also selected to control driving, steering, and braking functions based on the judgments made by the R-Car SoC. The combination provides an excellent balance between performance and power consumption, and serves as a comprehensive autonomous-driving solution with high reliability, which had a decisive influence on the adoption by Toyota and Denso.
“To achieve a society where mobility means safety, efficiency and freedom, Toyota is constantly seeking out the latest technology and selecting systems incorporating the very best devices and materials,” said Ken Koibuchi, Executive General Manager at Toyota Motor Corporation. “We are partnering with Denso and Renesas, who bring superior technology and expertise to this project, with the aim to accelerate the development of autonomous-driving vehicles and encourage early adoption.” “We are delighted that Toyota and Denso have selected Renesas’ high-performance automotive semiconductor devices for use in the autonomous-driving vehicle they are developing for commercial release,” said Ryuji Omura, Executive Vice President at Renesas Electronics Corporation. “Renesas introduced the Renesas autonomy™ Platform earlier this year as an open, innovative, and trusted platform for the autonomous driving era, to accelerate the development of self-driving vehicles for consumer adoption.”