Hikaru Ogura

Career Background

Studied automotive engineering at university and learned driving skills in the automotive club. During university, worked as a data collection driver for VW large SUVs at Cox. After graduation, worked as a bench test engineer for F1 and SUPER GT500. Worked within the pinnacle of motorsport development cycles, handling engine output performance evaluation and durability verification. Actively participated in motorsports privately, winning prizes in the All Japan Gymkhana Championship and drift competitions. Set a new record time at Gunma Cycle Sports Center (known as Japan’s most challenging circuit) in my personal Honda S2000.

When my desire to personally drive and evaluate vehicles grew stronger, I received an offer from a suspension parts manufacturer and made the move. I gained experience in optimizing and proposing suspension specification changes at each stage for full-throttle driving conditions, as well as setup development. As part of development, I also worked as a race mechanic, built race vehicles, and served as a driving instructor. I obtained heavy vehicle and towing licenses to transport multiple race vehicles simultaneously, gaining experience in long-distance transport with large trucks.

At Turing, I leverage all of this experience, specializing in ‘verbalizing driving intuition’ from various perspectives while performing driving duties for autonomous driving development.

Why I Joined Turing

I learned about Turing through an introduction from Hamada, who had already joined the company, and my interest grew significantly as I researched further.
As I gathered information through the website and X, I could tell it was a company full of passionate people, and I wanted to join.
Hearing that they were conducting E2E autonomous driving development with driving tests in Tokyo, I wanted to be involved in tackling such a highly challenging endeavor.

What I Do

Data Collection Driving
- I drive with exemplary technique to collect data. To standardize driving among drivers, we regularly discuss and ride together.
Model Control Driving Verification
- Based on training data collected from driving, I verify models developed by engineers by running them on the road. This is a critical role in preventing accidents in emergencies, requiring spatial awareness, quick reflexes, and situational judgment.

What Makes My Work Rewarding

Seeing my driving become a model reference and reflected in the AI model.
My driving skills contributing to autonomous driving development and making a social impact.

About the Work Environment at Turing

There are many passionate and interesting people.
Many people have mastered their specialties, making conversations fascinating, persuasive, and inspiring.
There is a great sense of speed, with high flexibility and responsiveness to decisions.
Regular one-on-one meetings provide many opportunities to consult.
There are no barriers between levels, making it easy to consult and propose ideas.

Who Thrives at Turing

People with perseverance who have seriously pursued one thing to its fullest.
People who enjoy taking on unknown and unprecedented challenges.
People who like to choose paths less traveled and enjoy exploring.
People who love cars and love driving.
People who enjoy driving cars with a physics-oriented mindset.

For Those Considering Turing

Daily work itself is directly connected to the joy of driving, and you can experience the growth process toward achieving fully autonomous driving right at the center of the action.
For car enthusiasts and driving lovers, this is a uniquely attractive company where your driving skills contribute to autonomous driving development and make a social impact.

My Car

HONDA N-ONE

The turbo makes commuting comfortable. I really like it for its good fuel efficiency, spacious cargo area, and cute appearance.
I own several other sports cars at home and even personally own a car carrier — that is how much of a car enthusiast I am. I love everything from drifting to racing, gymkhana, and rally, and I do it all myself.