Toyota and Stanford University Achieve Tandem Drift with Two Supras Driving Autonomously

Toyota has worked with researchers at Stanford University to develop two Supras that can perform tandem drifts autonomously.

While it is certainly cool to see the cars in action, the researchers' goal is a serious one. Researchers aim to develop automated driving assist features that work in extreme conditions, which could be a boon for the next generation of stability control systems.

The California-based Toyota Research Institute has already demonstrated an autonomous drifting Supra in 2022. Such capabilities could help the vehicle maintain control during future runs on snow and ice.

Currently, the Toyota Research Institute is partnering with Stanford Engineering to develop more advanced capabilities. The researchers have added a second Supra that can drift in tandem with the lead vehicle. Designed to dynamically adapt to the lead car's movements, it can drift alongside the lead car without colliding.

These features allow vehicles to react quickly to avoid other vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles. According to researchers, loss of control in such situations is one of the biggest causes of accidents.

The test was conducted at Thunderhill Raceway Park in California and did not simply involve two vehicles with the same programming, but by sharing a dedicated WiFi network, information such as relative positions and planned trajectories could be exchanged in real time were able to do so.

The lead car was programmed by Toyota, and the tracked car was programmed by a team at Stanford University. According to the researchers, the cars used AI, including neural networks that learn from previous runs, just like human drivers.

Could such a system ever be put to practical use? While Toyota is developing a self-driving system that eliminates the need for a driver, the company is also developing a system that could actually appeal to enthusiasts: called “Guardian,” the system allows the driver to drive the car as he or she wishes but does not react in time to obstacles ahead. However, in the event of problems such as not being able to react in time to obstacles ahead or falling asleep at the wheel, the system can take over driving if necessary. Toyota states that the Guardian system amplifies the driver's abilities, not replaces them.