The race towards developing meaningful autonomous technology that can actually be used in the real world is now producing results. Tokyo is gearing up to roll out driverless taxis in time for the Japan-hosted Olympics 2020. The technology is already a reality and Tokyo is testing the self-driving taxis on public roads with real people in them. Taxi firm Hinomaru Kotsu and robotics outfit ZMP have put forces together to develop, test and roll out autonomous taxis in Japan.
The team deployed a fleet of driverless taxis for paying passengers earlier this week as part of a trial which will run for weeks. A demonstration was held with the media present of a self-driving minivan, which drove a family for 4.8 km. There was a driver present in the driving seat so as to take over in case of an emergency. Passengers can access the driverless taxi using a smartphone to scan a QR code. Once everyone is seated, they can tap on a touchscreen to begin the journey.
The test demonstration shows the self-driving taxi comfortably maneuvering in real traffic conditions turning and changing lanes on its own. One of the passengers later talks to the media saying that another vehicle on the road behaved “strangely”, which prompted the safety driver to take over and guide the autonomous taxi away from it.
The self-driving taxis are making eight trips a day between two fixed destinations with each journey costing the passengers about $14 (Rs 991). More tests have been planned to further smoothen the technology. Hinomaru plans to ready the driverless taxis before the start of the 2020 Olympics. They will come in handy for transporting players and fans around the city.
Autonomous taxis are emerging as a lucrative business idea around the world and are a brilliant way to bring finesse in the driverless car technology. There are several ride-sharing firms currently working on their own autonomous taxi design.
