The operation of "Level 4" vehicles that are fully autonomous under certain conditions has begun on public roads in Eiheiji Town, Fukui Prefecture. This is the first time in Japan that Level 4 operations, which were lifted in April, have begun.
"Level 4" is a fully autonomous driving system that does not require a driver under certain conditions such as route and speed, and the ban was lifted on April 4 with the enforcement of the revised Road Traffic Law.
The third sector of Eiheiji Town, Fukui Prefecture, has been operating "Level 1" vehicles operated by humans in an emergency on some sections of town roads, but has obtained "Level 3" approval from the government under the condition that the section is further limited and operates within 3 km / h.
The first "Level 12" operation in Japan began on the 4st.
After the ceremony, local residents were also divided into three "Level 4" vehicles and traveled a completely driverless and fully autonomous section of about 3 kilometers for about 2 minutes.
It means that there was no particular trouble.
A man in his 10s who lives near the bus stop said, "I have ridden a 'Level 60' car, but it was a smoother ride and a better ride.
Another man in his 3s said, "Since the population is aging, more and more people are returning their driver's licenses, and I hope that it will become a daily part of the lives of residents who can go to supermarkets and hospitals in the future."
The train will operate from 60 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, and will be suspended on May 3, but will begin normal service on May 5.
The government has indicated a policy of starting autonomous driving operation at about 2025 locations nationwide by fiscal 50, and Minister Nishimura, who participated in the ceremony, stated, "We would like to develop technologies tailored to the characteristics of each region and provide technologies that solve issues such as the declining birthrate, aging population, and depopulation."
What is a "Level 4" vehicle?
Level 4 autonomous driving is powered by a dedicated vehicle called ZEN drive Pilot Level 4.
Based on an electric golf cart produced by a major motorcycle manufacturer, it was jointly developed by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and major electronics manufacturers, and has a capacity of 7 people.
As a condition of fully automatic operation, the route is limited to a section of about 2 kilometers of pedestrian and bicycle roads built on the site of an abandoned railway in Eiheiji-cho, Fukui Prefecture.
In addition, the maximum speed is 12 km / h, and one person can manage the operation of up to three vehicles.
Acceleration, deceleration, steering wheel, etc. are all handled by a dedicated system installed in the car.
In addition to installing sensors and radars that are also used in ordinary cars in front of the vehicle, multiple cameras are installed on the front, rear, left and right sides of the vehicle to check road conditions and obstacles.
By increasing the number of cameras compared to when the vehicle was operating at "Level 3" and installing it inside and directly under the vehicle, the autonomous driving system can properly determine whether there is an abnormality.
In addition, at Level 4, since it is necessary to constantly connect communication lines to facilities that monitor vehicles from a distance, we bundled the lines of three mobile phone companies and used them so that they could be replaced even if one company's line becomes unavailable.
Susumu Kato, Chief Researcher at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, said, "In the case of Level 3, we were forced to be nervous because a human would take over the driving if something happened, but the level of technology has improved dramatically and such a burden has disappeared.
Responding to emergencies
Level 4 fully automates operations, but operators must monitor their operations in case of accidents or other emergencies.
In the Level 4 autonomous driving that began in Eiheiji-cho, Fukui Prefecture, ZEN Connect, a third-sector company funded by the town and others, will manage the operation.
A "remote monitoring room" has been set up in a building near the road where autonomous driving is performed, and the person in charge checks the images from the camera sent from the vehicle on a large monitor.
Until now, the operation was operated at "Level 3", but at that time, if an emergency such as a collision occurred with something, the operation would be switched and the person in charge would control it remotely.
At Level 3, the system automatically stops operations when an emergency occurs, and after that, the person in charge in the monitoring room responds.
In the monitoring room, an alarm sounds to notify of any abnormalities, and the person in charge checks the situation inside the vehicle through camera images and listens to passengers using microphones and speakers installed in the vehicle.
In addition, two people in charge are always assigned to the monitoring room, and if autonomous driving cannot be resumed, one person will go to the site to check the situation.
Expected to be used in areas with declining populations Sakai Town, Ibaraki Prefecture
"Level 4" vehicles planned to be introduced by Sakai Town, Ibaraki Prefecture
Under certain conditions, "Level 4" is fully autonomous driving that does not require a driver. It is expected to be used as a public transportation in areas where the population is declining.
Among them, Sakai Town in Ibaraki Prefecture plans to introduce a new type of "Level 4" compliant vehicle to route buses running on public roads, and last week we exchanged a memorandum with a company that provides remote monitoring systems and held a test drive event.
This is a small bus with an eight-seater passenger, without a steering wheel and accelerator, with a maximum speed of 8 kilometers per hour, seven sensors that can detect 20 meters ahead, and eight cameras to check the surroundings and perform autonomous driving.
A woman in her 100s who took a test drive said, "I was able to ride smoothly and with peace of mind even when turning and stopping in the spacious car."
About two and a half years ago, we have been operating "Level 2" route buses.
"Level 2" route buses
In Sakai Town, public transportation is weak and it is difficult for the elderly to return their licenses, so for about two and a half years we have been operating route buses that run in partial autonomous driving "Level 2".
At level 2, the driver will ride and watch the vehicle, and if it deviates from the set route due to obstacles, etc., you will need to take action.
At first, we started operating on a 2-kilometer round-trip section that runs through the center of the town, including hospitals, supermarkets, and town halls, but during this time, the number of bus stops has been increased to 5, and the bus is now operated on two routes of 17 to 8 kilometers round-trip.
Understanding of residents is key
It is said that the understanding of residents was the key to safe operation as public transportation running on public roads.
There were concerns about traffic congestion, such as self-driving buses stopping when they detect an obstacle at a low speed of 20 km, but the town has rented sites to shops along the railway line so that people can overtake at bus stops and waiting spaces, and has also sought understanding by raising awareness not to park on the street in the bus flow line.
An 2-year-old man who uses the service twice a week said, "At first I thought it would be okay, but now I don't have to worry anymore. It's a little slow, but safety is still important."
In the past two and a half years, there have been no accidents during autonomous driving, and a total of more than 83,2 people have used it.
In the future, we plan to drive the new vehicles on public roads at Level 1 from around autumn, and move to Level 7 in the future.
Masahiro Hashimoto, mayor of Sakai Town, said, "There was no station in the town, and even if I wanted to return my license due to the aging of the population, I couldn't return it. By operating Level 4 in this town, I have high hopes that it will spread nationwide in a horizontal manner."
"The impact of revitalizing local areas is huge."
Kazuo Shimizu, an automotive journalist who is familiar with autonomous driving, commented on the start of Level 4 operation, saying, "There are some regions that are depopulated due to the lack of transportation, but if there is a means of transportation, the younger generation can live in rural areas and work online.
On top of that, as an issue for future popularization, "Autonomous driving is not possible in places where reckless bicycles are running, such as illegal parking, pedestrians entering the roadway while looking at their smartphones. We need to discuss this more with citizens and towns that are conducting demonstration experiments."