Demonstration test of a large autonomous driving bus at Haneda Airport

Demonstration test of a large autonomous driving bus at Haneda Airport Responding to an increase in foreign customers January 22 18:43

To respond to the increasing number of foreign tourists visiting Japan, Haneda Airport is conducting a demonstration test of a large self-driving bus with a view to commercialization within the year.

The demonstration test has been underway for three years by ANA and a subsidiary of SoftBank. On the 22nd, automated driving of a bus on a 1.9 km road around Terminal 2, which is planned to be operated, was disclosed to the press. Was.

From now on, a large-sized 57-seat electric vehicle was used in anticipation of practical use, and the staff started running when the staff closed the door with a smartphone dedicated application.

Drivers boarded the bus to ensure safety, but did not grip the steering wheel and were traveling at a speed of about 20 km / h by automatic driving based on GPS and 3D map information.

In front of the curve, there was also a program to reduce the speed, and the bus slowed down to 7 km / h, turning around the curve without protruding off the road.

At Haneda Airport, the number of international flights is expected to increase in March ahead of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, and the number of foreign tourists is expected to increase. That is.

For this reason, the aim is to operate autonomous buses as early as in the summer of this year, and to establish means of transportation for passengers and employees.

Tadakatsu Yamaguchi of ANA said, "I would like to continue the experiment at Haneda, the gateway to Japan, with the aim of putting it to practical use so that many people would find it convenient."