Toyota Is Turning This City Into a Giant Connected Car Experiment

Toyota, the world's largest automaker, is sending 5,000 connected cars that can wirelessly communicate with other vehicles and infrastructure onto the streets of Ann Arbor, Mich., in a real-world experiment designed to move autonomous driving closer to reality. Toyota is partnering with the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute on the project. Drivers who agree to participate in the tests will have a small data-collecting box installed in the trunk area of their car and two small antennas -- one on or near the rear windshield and another on the roof. The equipment transmits speed and position data from the vehicle to other participating vehicles as well as infrastructure such as traffic signals and research equipment located at intersections or along roadways. Drivers won't be required to take specific routes.