Tag - self-driving

 
 

SELF DRIVING

NTT plans to test driverless vehicle technology with Toyota and invest in a U.S. startup.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 7, 2023
NTT to test driverless tech with Toyota and invest in U.S. startup
NTT aims to start tests with autonomous buses and taxis as early as 2025 and invest about ¥10 billion ($66.91 million) in U.S. startup May Mobility.
A Cruise driverless car operating in San Francisco. On Tuesday, California regulators ordered Cruise, a General Motors subsidiary, to stop its driverless taxi service in San Francisco after a series of traffic incidents.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 25, 2023
California sidelines Cruise's driverless cars, citing safety risk
The U.S. state suspended Cruise's autonomous vehicle deployment, saying the company had "misrepresented" the safety of the technology.
Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe (left) and Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt shake hands in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 19, 2023
Self-driving taxi service set to be launched in Tokyo in 2026
Honda, GM and the American automaker’s autonomous driving unit, Cruise, will establish a joint venture next year to prepare for the robotaxi service.
Self-driving vehicles featuring level-4 capabilities in Eiheiji, Fukui Prefecture. The limited availability of autonomous driving in Japan stands in stark contrast to the U.S. and China.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 2, 2023
Autonomous driving remains a distant reality in Japan
The limited availability of autonomous driving stands in stark contrast to the U.S. and China, where robotaxis already roam the streets in some cities.
A self-driving Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle in San Francisco in 2017
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 17, 2023
With self-driving cars, it's the ethics we have to navigate
Do accidents involving self-driving cars today save lives tomorrow? When it comes to self-driving cars, the challenges aren't just technical, but ethical.
An autonomous truck in Stack AV’s test fleet
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 8, 2023
SoftBank backs autonomous trucking firm started by ex-Ford execs
The new firm, named Stack AV, is led by three executives who previously ran Argo AI, the self-driving operation that Ford and VW shut down last year.
A Cruise autonomous taxi in San Francisco on Aug. 10. Cruise is one of only two firms in California allowed to run paid robotaxi services around the clock.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 25, 2023
Robotaxis are making enemies as they go around San Francisco
Mishaps are adding to traffic and safety concerns over driverless vehicles, which zip around the city’s streets surrounded by sensors and cameras.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 13, 2023
Shinkansen trains gearing up for driverless operations
As testing of systems progresses, the differing goals of two JR companies have become apparent, reflecting the characteristics of the routes and the level of cost-cutting targeted.
Japan Times
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 Times
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.
Japan Times
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 Times
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2023
Japanese town set to OK country's first 'level-4' autonomous vehicles
Autonomous vehicles are expected to become an essential means of transportation in regions of the country where public transport is becoming increasingly scarce.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 20, 2022
Japan approves use of highly autonomous 'level-4' self-driving vehicles from April '23
Limited adoption of the automated vehicles intended to lead to the technology's use in unmanned bus services in regions with falling populations and in self-driving delivery robots.
Japan Times
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.

Longform

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.
As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals