Drones are everywhere these days. From filming weddings and concerts to surveying crops and even military use, these buzzing machines have infiltrated nearly every corner of modern life. And now, apparently, Toyota wants to bring them inside your car.
According to a filing with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), reported by Reuters, the Japanese automaker is working on a compact drone system designed to assist drivers on rough trails and unpaved roads. Think of it as a flying co-pilot when the terrain gets sketchy.
The concept is elegantly simple. The drone takes off from the vehicle and provides a bird’s-eye view of the surroundings, acting as an extra set of eyes when it’s unsafe or impractical for the driver to step outside. Toyota explains that this would allow drivers to plan safer routes and navigate obstacles more efficiently, especially in remote or challenging environments.
Most drone operations, the documents note, would take place near the vehicle, maintaining visual contact, though in some cases it could fly “above the tree line” to map the area or capture broader footage. Imagine being stuck in a muddy canyon and launching a tiny scout to find your escape route, that’s essentially the idea.
This development comes just as the US Department of Transportation is proposing new rules that would allow drones to fly beyond the operator’s line of sight, a major shift that could accelerate commercial uses like package delivery, energy production, agriculture, and filmmaking.
Toyota has already submitted comments supporting the proposal, referencing its in-progress drone project, the first public acknowledgment of its existence. However, the company emphasizes that the initiative is still in early development and not tied to any product launch. As a Toyota spokesperson put it, “We’re always working on new technologies across many fields, but we currently have no products to announce”.
