Toyota revs up its digital mapping subsidiary Woven Planet

Kuffner, who sits on Toyota’s board and is based in Tokyo, worked as part of the initial engineering team that built Google’s self-driving cars. — AP

TOKYO: Toyota plans to hire more people and invest heavily in its subsidiary Woven Planet to work on mobility technology so the Japanese automaker stays competitive amid the global shift to using artificial intelligence and robotics in everyday driving.

“Toyota’s traditional strength in hardware is something we never want to lose. To make safe mobility we need both, great hardware and great software,” Woven Planet Holdings chief executive James Kuffner said. “The world is changing. The automotive industry is going through this once-in-a-hundred-year revolution. And so how do we remain relevant?”