Anyone who has experienced the fascination of the Olympic Games knows the magic that this event radiates for athletes and visitors. What is mostly overlooked: the infrastructure usually also benefits from the investments in the venues of the Olympic Games. Munich city centre has had its subway system since 1972. London and Rio have recently benefited from transport infrastructure measures.
Robocar travels autonomously through Tokyo
The next Olympic Games will take place in Tokyo in 2020. They have come up with something very exciting when it comes to mobility. In Tokyo, self-propelled taxis are supposed to take athletes, organisers and spectators to the respective sports facilities and back to their accommodation.
This week the first tests began on a 5.3-kilometre route through the Japanese metropolis. Here a ‘Robocar’ christened autonomous driving taxi is on its way. Robocar is equipped with short-range radar, various stereo cameras, several LiDAR sensors and software for autonomous driving. To be on the safe side, a driver is behind the wheel. No need to burden the inhabitants of Tokyo with fully autonomously driven cars without a safety net, yet.
In other cities it is currently free of charge to travel in autonomous vehicles. A trip for the test persons in the case of Robocar costs 1,500 yen or the equivalent of 12 euros per trip. Quickly registered online via the app, you will immediately receive a confirmation or cancellation when you book your trip. If the decision is positive, one of the two silver Toyota Estima vehicles will drive up. A QR code is scanned on the sliding door, the data is compared, you may enter and off you go.
Hinomaru Kotsu and ZMP cooperate
Taxi company Hinomaru Kotsu and the Tokyo robotics company ZMP have joined forces for this project. ZMP has experience with the conversion of Toyota Prius vehicles. Two Toyota Estima Minivan Taxis are now on the road in Tokyo in this test and have successfully transported paying passengers through the busy streets of Tokyo this week.
More than 1500 people have already applied for a ride. However, Robocar only operates four times a day between the districts of Otemachi and Roppong. It is highly unlikely that you will be allowed to take such a trip yourself. But hope is approaching: the Japanese want to start another experiment this year. Then autonomously driving taxis are to drive from Haneda airport to the various transport hubs in Tokyo’s city centre – in this case without a security driver. We are awaiting the results.
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