Leon Starr is the MBSE (Model-Based Systems Engineering) lead at the Toyota Research Institute.  He is one of the pioneers of model-based software development and automated code generation for mission and safety-critical systems. Models of requirements that he has developed over his 30+ years are running in everything from next-generation fighter jets to implantable medical devices.  He is the lead author of the recent book Models to Code which demonstrates how safe and efficient code can be generated directly from requirements models.  At TRI he is developing a set of detailed reference models of the autonomous driving environment to guide the development, validation and safety of level 5 vehicles.

Toyota Research Institute Inc. (TRI) is an R&D enterprise with an initial focus on artificial intelligence and robotics. The headquarters is located in Silicon Valley near Stanford University in Los Altos, California. A second facility is located near the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A third facility is located near the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. TRI has four initial mandates: First, we wish to enhance the safety of automobiles with the ultimate goal of creating a car that is incapable of causing a crash, regardless of the skill or condition of the driver. Second, we want to increase access to cars to those who otherwise cannot drive, including people with special needs and seniors. Third, we plan to help translate Toyota’s expertise in creating products for outdoor mobility into products for indoor mobility. In other words, Toyota’s goal is to move people across the room, across town, and across the country. Finally, we hope to accelerate scientific discovery by applying techniques from artificial intelligence and machine learning particularly in the area of materials science.