Tag - self-driving

 
 

SELF DRIVING

BUSINESS / Economy
May 29, 2023
Fukui launches Japan's first transport service using 'level 4' autonomous driving
Self-driving cars are expected to serve as a means of transportation for elderly people in areas where public transportation services have decreased due to drive shortages and depopulation.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 18, 2023
SoftBank unit bringing Estonian self-driving buses to Japan
Tokyo-based Boldly plans to have self-driving buses operating in eight new areas in Japan this fiscal year to cater to rapidly aging communities.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 3, 2023
China’s DriveGPT is here. Time to play catch-up.
Beijing’s regulations have put its autonomous-vehicle industry way ahead of competitors. Entry-level offerings won’t cut it any more.
JAPAN
Apr 2, 2023
Fully automated driving under certain conditions allowed in Japan
The government has a target of realizing Level 4 autonomous driving services in at least 40 locations by fiscal 2025.
BUSINESS
Mar 25, 2023
JR Tokai eyeing automated shinkansen operations around 2028
JR Tokai plans to introduce the automated operation system for its Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train services around 2028, President Shin Kaneko said.
JAPAN
Oct 4, 2022
Ibaraki town and partners aim for quick delivery by drones
Industrial drone technology company Aeronext, trucking company Seino Holdings and others aim to realize a service to deliver goods within 30 minutes of an order.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Sep 12, 2022
Truly autonomous cars may be impossible without helpful human touch
Human supervisors, monitoring video feeds from multiple autonomous vehicles ready to step in and get stuck robot drivers moving again, may be needed permanently.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 1, 2022
Shenzhen accelerates China's driverless car dreams
The United States took an early lead in autonomous vehicle technology, but the industry appears to be changing gears in Shenzhen.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
May 29, 2022
To reduce traffic, this company wants cargo e-bikes to replace delivery vans
URB-E, which started out as a company that made mini e-scooters, is pivoting to monetize the demand from companies that need their own low-emissions delivery systems.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 19, 2022
Tesla autopilot stirs U.S. alarm as ‘disaster waiting to happen’
Regulators are applying greater scrutiny to Tesla's driver-assistance system than ever before, which could tarnish the company's reputation with consumers and spook investors.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Dec 10, 2021
Trucks catch up in the self-driving vehicle race
In the year through Dec. 6, total investment activity for self-driving logistics vehicles leapt fivefold to $6.5 billion from $1.3 billion in the same period in 2020.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 9, 2021
'Robotaxis' roaming around Yokohama are winning over unlikely fans
Regulations and the need for further technology improvements mean a full-scale launch is still some years away, however.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 20, 2021
Apple accelerates work on car as it aims for fully autonomous vehicle
In trying to master self-driving cars, Apple is chasing a holy grail within the auto industry.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 7, 2021
The Prius-hacking Silicon Valley star shaping Toyota’s future
The jeans-loving, patent-wielding executive co-founded Google's robotics division and helped develop the tech company's self-driving car project.

Longform

Professional cleaner Hirofumi Sakurai takes a moment to appreciate some photographs in a Gotanda apartment whose occupant died alone. 
The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan