First Level 2 system from Lexus now ready to roll

PLANO, Texas — Lexus will debut its first advanced driver-assistance system this year on certain 2022 LS 500h all-wheel-drive sedans with an eye on keeping up with its luxury competitors while maintaining a conservative approach toward the burgeoning technology.

Developed in-house, the SAE Level 2 system — called Lexus TeamMate — enables automatic steering, acceleration and braking in highway driving, but only under the active supervision of the driver. In addition, it is capable of maintaining set distances with other vehicles, changing lanes, merging and passing other vehicles.

The system has two main functions: Advanced Drive and Advanced Park. Lexus TeamMate integrates with the vehicle's high-definition navigation system to plan its actions up to six miles in advance in highway situations. However, engineers said use of Advanced Drive is restricted to limited-access highways only.

The Advanced Park function, meanwhile, employs the vehicle's suite of cameras and sensors to enable hands-free parallel or back-in parking.

In a demonstration drive on crowded public highways near Toyota Motor North America's headquarters here this month, the TeamMate system ably handled afternoon traffic but frequently mandated verification that the driver was engaged and observant. It automatically overtook slower vehicles in its lane that were traveling at least 10 mph less than the set cruise speed, signaling lane changes in the process. But the system would also demand a return of the driver's hands to the wheel if the white right-side lane marker disappeared for more than a few seconds, as was the case when passing an exit lane.

An integrated head-up display augmented the requests for driver intervention and communicated the vehicle's intentions, such as when it overtook a slower vehicle. On the instrument cluster, other vehicles and their relative positions were clearly displayed.

When the system was engaged, the displayed road and vehicles turned blue, but when driver intervention was requested, or the system was not engaged, the displayed vehicles remained white.

Vehicles equipped with TeamMate will come with sensors and cameras integrated into each quarter panel, as well as the front and rear. The system also monitors the driver's interactions with a camera to check that the driver is looking at the road, that their eyes are open and checks their posture to ensure they are conscious. If the system senses that the driver is incapacitated or otherwise unable to drive, it will automatically pull the vehicle over to the highway shoulder, stop and engage the emergency signals.

Lexus did not disclose the cost of the optional TeamMate system or lay out its plans to spread the technology to other vehicles in its lineup.