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Deep learning startup Preferred Networks raises $95M from Toyota for self-driving tech

Takeshi Hirano Takeshi Hirano
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See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based Preferred Networks (PFN), the Japanese startup offering deep learning technologies for Internet of Things (IoT), announced today that it would receive an additional 10.5 billion yen (about $95.4 million)investment from Toyota Motor (TSE:7203). The cash injection will make Toyota an eternal largest shareholder for PFN.  Based on this, both companies will further work on the joint development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in autonomous driving and other mobility business fields. Since its launch back in March of 2014, PFN has been proposing Edge Heavy Computing, the distributed data processing scheme dealing with an enormous volume of data from various IoT devices, aiming to let devices interact each others so that each device can autonomously make a higher level decision making. The company has been focused on serving transportation, manufacturing and bio healthcare industries by partnering with Toyota, Fanac, National Cancer Center and other institutions. This funding from Toyota follows the previous one receiving 1 billion yen in December of 2015 after both companies started joint research back in October of 2014. According to the press release from PFN, the investment was led by Toyata’s understanding that object-recognition technology and analysis technology of vehicle…

Image credit: Toyota Global Newsroom

See the original story in Japanese.

Tokyo-based Preferred Networks (PFN), the Japanese startup offering deep learning technologies for Internet of Things (IoT), announced today that it would receive an additional 10.5 billion yen (about $95.4 million)investment from Toyota Motor (TSE:7203). The cash injection will make Toyota an eternal largest shareholder for PFN.  Based on this, both companies will further work on the joint development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in autonomous driving and other mobility business fields.

Since its launch back in March of 2014, PFN has been proposing Edge Heavy Computing, the distributed data processing scheme dealing with an enormous volume of data from various IoT devices, aiming to let devices interact each others so that each device can autonomously make a higher level decision making. The company has been focused on serving transportation, manufacturing and bio healthcare industries by partnering with Toyota, Fanac, National Cancer Center and other institutions.

This funding from Toyota follows the previous one receiving 1 billion yen in December of 2015 after both companies started joint research back in October of 2014.

According to the press release from PFN, the investment was led by Toyata’s understanding that object-recognition technology and analysis technology of vehicle information, both of which have been co-developed by the two, is something essential for the motor company looking into the next-gen mobility society. PFN will use the funds to enhance computational environment and accelerate talent acquisition.

Translated by Masaru Ikeda

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With sensors in the steering wheel, your car could soon monitor your vital signs

Rick Martin Rick Martin
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According to the folks over at TechOn, Toyota has developed a fascinating monitoring system which keeps track of the pulse and ECG of the driver using sensors in the steering wheel, notifying them when their vital signs begin to show abnormalities. A large number of accidents occur when the driver experiences a heart attack or some other sudden incapacitating health emergency. This system could potentially give the driver some extra time to either stop or get himself the hospital when the telltale signs occur. According to Toyota, such early warning signals can occur as much as two hours before their physical condition changes. Developed by Toyota, Densu and Nippon Medical School, this is a very elegant solution that uses electrodes and optical sensors in the steering wheel to monitor changes. And since drivers always have their hands in contact with the wheel (hopefully!) it makes perfect sense to measure them in this way. In the future we could see the system integrated with in-car navigation systems, possibly helping to guide the person to a hospital before an emergency occurs, or it could also be connected with the emergency braking system. Just a few days ago we wrote about a solution…

toyota-ecg-wheel

According to the folks over at TechOn, Toyota has developed a fascinating monitoring system which keeps track of the pulse and ECG of the driver using sensors in the steering wheel, notifying them when their vital signs begin to show abnormalities.

A large number of accidents occur when the driver experiences a heart attack or some other sudden incapacitating health emergency. This system could potentially give the driver some extra time to either stop or get himself the hospital when the telltale signs occur. According to Toyota, such early warning signals can occur as much as two hours before their physical condition changes.

toyota-wheel

Developed by Toyota, Densu and Nippon Medical School, this is a very elegant solution that uses electrodes and optical sensors in the steering wheel to monitor changes. And since drivers always have their hands in contact with the wheel (hopefully!) it makes perfect sense to measure them in this way. In the future we could see the system integrated with in-car navigation systems, possibly helping to guide the person to a hospital before an emergency occurs, or it could also be connected with the emergency braking system.

Just a few days ago we wrote about a solution from Fujitsu which measures a person’s pulse using only a smart phone, tablet, or PC camera. It’s certainly encouraging to see such promising solutions in the area of health tech, which hopefully can revolutionize the way that we monitor our bodies vital signs.

[Via TechOn]

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