Toyota has developed a system that automatically puts on a car’s brakes when it expects a stop sign. The Navi Brake Assist system works by combining data from the GPS system and a rear-mounted camera to know exactly when a stop sign is coming up and using that data to help you come to a stop at the perfect spot.

It sounds a bit unsafe, but the system uses the camera to cross-reference road markings with the locations of stop signs it expects to make sure the car is exactly where it thinks it is. Once the car is within 100 meters of a stop sign, the Navi Brake Assist signals with a sound and soon after starts applying the brakes on its own.

A system like this is hard to get right as any sort of software bugs could mean huge trouble. The system is undergoing trials in four Japanese cities right now, so we’ll see how well it really works.

Toyota is hoping to help to prevent accidents with its latest addition to some of its cars, an eye-monitoring system. It includes a camera mounted on the dash near the steering wheel which constantly monitors a driver’s eyes. If it senses that the eyes are not “properly open,” the system would alert the driver. It would also sense imminent collisions, helping it decide how and when to tell the driver to wake up.

The system would first be installed on Japanese Toyotas, with no word on if or when it would make it Stateside. However, seeing as this can only benefit our cars, expect to see it soon after its Japan release. Graphic after the jump. Read more »