A trial run of the robotaxi on a snowy road in Kamishihoro, Hokkaido, is seen in this photo provided by MoveEz Inc.
KAMISHIHORO, Hokkaido — A self-driving “robotaxi” has been tested on snowy roads in Kamishihoro, Hokkaido, and it performed well. This was an important step toward year-round operations, even in winter.
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The test was done by the Kamishihoro city government and MoveEz Inc., a company based in Kanazawa. From Jan. 5 to 27, the robotaxi drove 650 kilometers including on public roads. The car used cameras, laser sensors and radar to detect its surroundings. It used a simple 2D map instead of an expensive 3D map to save money.
The vehicle kept speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour, even on snowy roads, and drove safely. This was the robotaxi’s second test, following one in October before the snow season.
MoveEz aims to achieve Level 4 autonomous driving by 2027. Level 4 means there is no driver under certain conditions. Kamishihoro Mayor Mitsugi Takenaka, who took a ride, said, “I didn’t feel worried riding on snowy roads.”
The town already operates self-driving buses to help older residents travel, and officials hope robotaxis will further improve convenience for everyone.
(Japanese original by Hitoshi Suzuki)
Vocabulary:
robotaxi: a taxi that drives itself, with no driver
autonomous: able to work or move by itself
sensor: a device that detects or measures things
radar: a system that uses radio waves to find objects
AloJapan.com