When we think of automotive software, the first thing that comes to mind is entertainment. We are concerned about the software used in the infotainment touchscreen – if it has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and if the user experience is seamless. Tesla redefined this when they implemented Over-the-Air updates for their cars. Suddenly, you can have more features in your car, or update its existing capability, with just the software downloaded to your car’s system. Other brands followed suit and nowadays it’s called “Software-Defined Vehicles” or SDVs.
Toyota joins this new path with the Arene – the brand’s first software development platform that made its debut in the recently launched all-new RAV4. Arene is a platform for Toyota’s suppliers that will make Software-Defined Vehicles easier to make and maintain. It combines Toyota’s expertise in manufacturing and modern software capabilities to fulfill the brand’s mission of a safe future with zero accidents.
Arene Software Development Kit
Much like how Toyota’s global platforms made car-making easier by having a lot of shared parts, Arene will also make production faster by having software and hardware integration from the supplier themselves. Before, each component of the vehicle that needs a software has a different software and middleware that results in a complex system that’s near impossible to maintain after the fact.
The Arene Software Development Kit ensures that all suppliers of a Toyota vehicle are working on the same platform to maximize coordination, and simplify integration and testing. It also allows the product to be reused in other applications and other models unlike before where every application and car models needs a specific software code.
Arene was used in the RAV4 to develop the software powering the new cockpit voice agent and center display, as well as its Toyota Safety Sense. It proves that this platform is for the whole vehicle and not just the screen at the center of the dash. In the future, the Arene platform will also include the Body and Driving Dynamics of the vehicle.
Arene Tools
One of the biggest benefits of Arene is its tools for testing. It has enterprise-grade tools that allow for visualization, testing, validation, and management in a virtual environment. This lets the engineers test certain things without the need of an actual prototype car, undoubtedly accelerating the development cycle and will shorten the time it will take for a car to be launched to the public.
Teammate Advanced Drive
Arene also helped improve the Advanced Driver Assistance System of Toyota and Lexus, resulting in a Teammate Advanced Drive. It’s meant to be the driver’s partner on the road without detracting from driving pleasure.
The Teammate maximizes the computing power of Toyota and Lexus cars to be ready to assist anytime while on the road. With Arene, the Teammate has become reliable via rigorous testing in simulated situations that focus on braking, steering, sensors, processors, and algorithms.
Arene also improved how the car understands its surroundings via the LiDARs, cameras, and radars around the vehicle. Teammate complements this by helping the driver understand better what’s happening with the car’s behavior, ensuring the driver is still at the helm of the vehicle.
Arene is just in its infancy but it’s already exciting how it helps the RAV4 where it counts. I can’t wait to see it be used in more segments of the vehicle especially in riding comfort where the Philippines is in severe need of. We’d have to wait for the RAV4 to make its way to the country first before we can experience first-hand what Arene is all about.
