#Mobility

What is a Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration (VII) System?

Efforts are underway to realize Level 4 autonomous driving. As navigating intersections on public roads is a major challenge, the development of a Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration (VII) through road infrastructure development has been considered, and demonstration experiment have been carried out in various locations. From next fiscal year, the launch of technical standards and guidelines will finally begin, and the system will enter the widespread adoption phase. We talked to Naoki FUNAOKA from the Transportation Planning Dept., Social Innovation Div., Akira MITSUYASU from the Mobility DX Sec., DX Business Promotion Dept., Digital Service Div., Ryotaro TOMINAGA from the Transportation Strategy Sec., Social Innovation Div. of Chubu, and Daichi NAKAYAMA from the Transportation Policy Sec., Social Innovation Div. of Hokkaido, PACIFIC CONSULTANTS, who have all conducted numerous demonstration experiments tailored to local traffic conditions, about the current state and challenges of road-vehicle collaborative systems.

What is a Autonomous Driving Bus?

Route buses are essential public transportation that anyone can use easily. However, an increasing number of routes are being forced to reduce or discontinue service due to decreasing users and a lack of drivers, making stable continuity a major issue. This is where expectations are rising for autonomous driving buses. While a field demonstration experiment and demonstration runs are underway across the country, challenges are also emerging. We interviewed three people who have been involved in the development of autonomous driving systems and supporting the introduction of autonomous driving buses for a long time, including Akira MITSUYASU and Kai KOMORI from the Mobility DX Sec., DX Business Promotion Dept., and Ken WATANABE from Urban Management Sec., Transportation Planning Dept., about the current state of the introduction of autonomous driving buses, the steps involved, and points to be aware of.

Towards Ensuring Urban Sustainability

What is the background to the need for smart cities, and what kind of smart cities are currently required by society?