"Collaboration"... "Teammate"... "Trust"... That sounds like Toyota actually wants to make automation-assisted driving WORK. If SAE Level 5 driverless remains iffy (and it still is), my suggestion would be to ReFormat that physical thing that's supposed to bring us from A to B, the transport mode itself. It would, could sure lighten the working load. Why?

“Woven Planet — The finer the fabric, the more supple the weave” — The sleeker the vehicle:

1. the more nimble, agile to evade other road users

2. the more space, margin to avoid (near) collisions

3. the easier to scan/image the car’s vicinity for the on-board AV tech and the person behind the controls

4. less serious an accident (vehicle mass determines kinetic energy)

5. L4(-L5) autonomous, split-lane use of fwy

Have the ‘human factor’ (person behind the controls) sit curbside for much better visibility towards the side where it matters most in city traffic (where pedestrians and cyclists are). It will raise overall awareness and subsequent driver involvement. No boarding and exiting streetside where traffic rushes by. Plus avoidance of serious injuries in the most frequently occuring type of frontal collision according to NCAP. See below. Safety authorities will love you for it.

‘Sleek’ would also mean: easier to maneuver through dense traffic, shorter response and transit times, which would make for the perfect Next-Gen rickshaw for ride-hail purposes, and of course lighter (cheaper) battery packs whilst still scoring a decent range. More: new-iSetta.com

Cheers, Ralph Panhuyzen