TOKYO, April 30 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor ( TM ) and

Alphabet's Waymo said on Wednesday they have agreed to

explore a collaboration on speeding up the development and

deployment of autonomous driving technology.

The two companies in a joint statement said they aim to

combine respective strengths to develop an autonomous vehicle

platform, while also exploring ways to enhance next-generation

personally owned vehicles (POVs).

"The companies aim to further accelerate the development

and adoption of driver assistance and automated driving

technologies for POVs," they said.

The firms said they will discuss the possibility of

expanding the scope of their cooperation, adding that Toyota's ( TM )

autonomous driving technology unit Woven by Toyota ( TM ) will join the

potential collaboration.

Earlier this month, Waymo started collecting data in Tokyo

with test rides operated by human drivers to map key areas of

the Japanese capital and get a better understanding of local

infrastructure and driving patterns.

Woven by Toyota ( TM ) is developing an automotive software

platform, Arene, and building a testing site named Woven City

for mobility-related systems and services in Shizuoka

Prefecture, west of Tokyo.