The world’s largest car maker has adopted a software defined architecture for the first time as it looks to a centralised vehicle architecture.
Toyota is using its Arene software stack, developed by subsidiary Woven, for the first time in the Rav4 launched in Japan today.
The architecture includes a software development kit, data infrastructure and development tools. The rollout marks a pivotal first step toward software-defined vehicles and a zero-accident future, says Toyota, which has a semiconductor joint venture with supplier Denso called Mirise which is also part of the Japanese push to use chiplets in production vehicles by 2028.
The Rav4 is using a domain architecture with separate implementation for the ADAS safety system and the cockpit electronics. However the Arene tools will also be used for body electronics and steering and braking n a centralised architecture in future models, says Woven.
The Arene Software Development Kit (SDK) lays the foundation for a unified software development lifecycle spanning design, coding, testing, deployment, and maintenance. Traditionally, software and hardware in vehicles have been tightly coupled, requiring custom development for each application and vehicle model.
The SDK helps decouple these dependencies by enabling developers to build modular software components that can be reused across multiple applications and vehicle models. In the RAV4, the SDK has been used to develop software for the multimedia system’s cockpit voice agent and centre display (above) as well as the latest iteration of Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) ADAS technologies.
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Arene Tools consist of a suite of enterprise-grade tools that allow software to be visualized, tested, validated and managed within virtual environments, reducing the need to rely on physical prototypes. This virtualization accelerates development cycles across vehicle models and shortens time-to-market for new features.
For the latest RAV4, advanced simulation tools were used to efficiently test a range of driving scenarios and other safety-related functions featured in its TSS system.
Arene Data enables safer, consent-based collection and analysis of driving data to support over-the-air updates and continuous software improvement. These capabilities are essential in transforming real-world insights into improvement for autonomous driving (AD), advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and personalized in-vehicle experiences. Arene Data supports data collection for TSS in the new RAV4.
Woven also contributed additional core technologies to the TSS system. This includes AI models for surrounding object detection and driver condition monitoring, as well as enhancements to the user interface.
The hybrid version of the Rav4 increases the size of the battery and uses silicon carbide power semiconductors in the front axel to reduce size and improve efficiency. This provides a cruising range of 150 km, up from the previous 95 km. It also supports fast charging at 50kW to provide an 80% charge in 30 minutes as well as a bidirectional vehicle to home (V2H) connection.
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