News

ANN ARBOR, MI The Electronics Research Department at Toyota Research Institute of North America (TRINA) in collaboration with Stanford University recently made advancements in optical performance of a dual-ring resonator device which is a common component in photonic integrated circuits. The study aimed to exploit designed thermal isolation between the rings. The work was recently … Continued

ANN ARBOR, MI Princeton University and the Toyota Research Institute of North America (TRINA) have been exploring the intricate mechanics of covert feathers for flight control. Our joint investigation into the placement of covert feathers on wing surfaces has yielded new insights into flight control, applicable to both natural and engineered systems. Birds can perform agile maneuvers … Continued

ANN ARBOR, MI A new study of driver speeding suggests the importance of driving conditions in predicting a driver’s likelihood of speeding.  CSRC researchers and collaborators at Touchstone Evaluations, Inc., found that the portion of the trip spent idling, rather than the driver’s individual speeding attitudes, was more predictive of speeding onset.  Further, 82% of … Continued

ANN ARBOR, MI Toyota’s Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) recently brought together top experts to share the latest safety innovations and insights driving safe mobility forward.  In an exclusive media briefing, CSRC researchers released new findings alongside research collaborators from across the country.  The key findings from the latest wave of completed projects are available … Continued

ANN ARBOR, MI Researchers are making strides in carbon neutrality with innovative copper electrocatalysts that transform CO2 into valuable fuels. In electrochemical CO2 conversion, most catalyst materials preferably produce less-desired products, but copper stands out for producing high-value molecules like ethanol. A breakthrough technique using atomic layer deposition (ALD) of copper achieved a 75% selectivity … Continued

ANN ARBOR, MI Zheng Chen, Zhongyang Wang, and Juner Zhu received the 2024–2025 ECS Toyota Young Investigator Fellowships for projects in green energy technology. The fellowship program is a partnership between The Electrochemical Society and the Toyota Research Institute of North America (TRINA), a Toyota Motor North America (Toyota) R&D division that explores future technology. Through this program, ECS and … Continued

ANN ARBOR, MI Dr. Paul Gilmore introduces a novel approach to creating Quasi-Zero Stiffness (QZS) isolators using affordable and compact coned disk springs. These springs, which can be designed for various force requirements, achieve the QZS effect with a single component. This innovation eliminates the need to balance separate positive and negative stiffness elements, which … Continued

ANN ARBOR, MI The innovative work of Dr. Yuyang Song at the Toyota Research Institute of North America (TRINA) and collaborators from Toyota Central R&D Labs and Georgia Institute of Technology has resulted in a groundbreaking publication in Advanced Functional Materials. This research introduces a novel hollow liquid crystal elastomer (h-LCE) fiber, crafted through coaxial … Continued

ANN ARBOR, MI Dr. Ziqi Yu and his research team at the Toyota Research Institute of North America (TRINA) have made a breakthrough in broadband acoustic directional sensing of sirens using a resonator-based sensor, enhanced by deep learning. This innovation demonstrates the potential of artificial intelligence to extend the capabilities of physical sensing systems and … Continued

ANN ARBOR, MI The Electrochemical Society (ECS) has named Dr. Rana Mohtadi, a Senior Principal Scientist at the Toyota Research Institute of North America (TRINA), a Fellow in its Class of 2024. Mohtadi is the first female from an automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to receive this prestigious honor. This is the second consecutive year … Continued