SoftBank Group in joint venture to build driverless buses
Prototype already navigating a closed course; four Japanese towns have signed up to test the vehicles on actual bus routes next year
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IF you had to invent the perfect place to roll out self-driving buses, Japan would be it. The country boasts an immaculate and extensive road network. Much of the ageing population relies on public transport, especially in the countryside, to get around. And that customer base is shrinking; fewer passengers equals less fares. As a result, only a third of the country's bus companies are profitable, forcing regional governments to step in to support them.
That is why SoftBank Group Corp is building driverless buses, which the Tokyo-based company estimated can cut operating costs by half. Self-driving cars, like those being developed by Uber Technologies Inc, Google and carmakers have to be smart enough to traverse unpredictable environments. Buses, on the other hand, follow predetermined routes and can get away with a lower level of machine intelligence. If the Japanese technology and telecommunications company succeeds, its automated buses could be navigating streets as soon as 2019.
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