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Toyota will bring Lexus-based Platform 3.0 autonomous vehicle to CES

The Toyota Research Institute says it will bring its next-generation Platform 3.0 automated driving vehicle to CES next week, an autonomous test car that is notable for incorporating the sensors and cameras into the body, rather than as ungainly attachments, and with the spinning LIDAR rooftop sensor replaced by a more sleek panel of sensors. Platform 3.0 is built on a Lexus LS600hL. Toyota Research Institute says it enlisted CALTY Design Research in Ann Arbor, Mich. and engineers at Toyota's nearby North America R&D center to conceal the equipment. As a result, Platform 3.0 gets a new rooftop weather and temperature proof panel, which it says was inspired by off-road motorcycle helmets, integrated into the available space in the sunroof compartment to minimize height. It's also embellished with chrome trim along the side, where it meets the roofline, and the rear swoops down to integrate with the LS's contour lines. The team also managed to consolidate computational electronics and wiring into a small box in the trunk. Toyota says the Platform 3.0 is one of the most perceptive autonomous test vehicles on the road today, with a design makes the test vehicle easy to build at scale. It gets a Luminar LIDAR system boasting a 200-meter, 360-degree range (the previous version only tracked the forward direction), enabled by four high-res LIDAR scanning heads that help it better see dark objects. Shorter-range LIDAR sensors feature low on all four sides of the vehicle, one on each front quarter panel and on the front and rear bumpers, to detect low-level and smaller objects, like children or road debris. Production begins this spring at the Toyota Motor North America R&D headquarters at low volumes to allow for flexibility, given the rapid rate of development of Toyota's autonomous test platforms. Some will be assembled using Toyota's Guardian dual-cockpit control layout to allow for transferring control between a human test driver and the automated system while keeping the driver as a backup, while the single-cockpit, fully autonomous Chauffeur mode will be shown at CES starting Jan. 9.Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Least favorite vehicles of 2017

Google is hiring autonomous car testers in Arizona

If you're in Arizona, Google is hiring for a gig that could be a good alternative to doing Uber. The job entails test driving an autonomous car around the state for $20 an hour, six to eight hours a day. You'll still need to know how to actually drive to be able to take the wheel if needed. But since your role is testing out the big G's new technology, you're expected to provide the engineering team "concise written and oral feedback," submit daily reports and document any test or procedure performed. That's why even though Google isn't looking for any "particular type of person," it wants people with bachelor's degrees and excellent communication skills. If you're applying because you want to go on a road trip inside one of Google's compact cars, though, we're afraid you'd be sorely disappointed. You'll be testing the tech titan's self-driving technology on a Lexus like the one in the image above. Related Video: This article by Mariella Moon originally ran on Engadget, the definitive guide to this connected life.

2019 Lexus IS 300 F Sport gets Black Line treatment

Lexus is making the Black Line Special Edition treatment available again, this time offering it on the F Sport version of the 2019 IS 300 sports sedan. The package adds 18-inch, split-spoke wheels with the "black vapor chrome" finish that also appear on the flagship LS sedan, plus back side mirrors. Inside, you get black Nuluxe seats with red accents and contrasting red stitching, which also appears on the center console and armrests, plus red accent panels flanking the center stack. There's also a heated, black wood-trimmed steering wheel highlighted by what Lexus says is "distinctive shades of black that were created by a Japanese calligraphy shop dedicated to perfecting ink for more than 200 years." All Black Line versions are equipped with navigation and triple-beam LED headlights. The Black Line Special Edition will be available on both rear- and all-wheel-drive versions, with choice of three exterior colors: ultra white, obsidian and atomic silver. Rear-wheel-drive versions use a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 241 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque and comes with an eight-speed automatic, while AWD versions are powered by a 3.5-liter V6 that generates 260 hp and 236 lb-ft mated to a six-speed automatic. Black Line versions of the former will run you $45,825 including destination, while AWD versions will cost $47,875. Lexus earlier this month showed an NX F Sport Black Line edition at the Chicago Auto Show. For the IS 300 F Sport, Lexus will cap Black Line edition production at 900 units for 2019 and make it available in dealerships starting in March. Related Video: