Japan is synonymous with technology and innovations. It always comes out with new inventions that other countries wouldn’t able to follow its advancement. Its unique and useful innovations certainly can ease our life.
Japan has always taken one step faster in technology. It is well-known that Japan is leading the way towards robotic innovations. Some of its inventions can even replace humans in terms of working.
Recently, a new self-driving bus was developed by a council of public transport companies, along with telecom giant NTT Docomo and Gunma University. The buses were developed in Maebashi City in Gunma Prefecture.
The buses were designed with sensors to monitor surrounding traffic and signage. The sensors also synced with traffic information and geographic information systems through a 5G connection. The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry is holding a testing-tour on the self-driving buses.
The bused had been run almost completely without a human driver on a six-kilometer route in Mita City. Human is required to take over for a minor software glitch during four days of trial. Half of the passengers who rode the bus said that it was as good as a human-driven bus when it can accelerate and turn smoothly. Some other passengers even said that it was better. The bus however has flaws when it came to stopping.
Another feature that might attract passengers is the “face pass” system. The passengers have to scan their faces and they will be automatically charged on their registered account. They will be charged when their face detected boarding the bus. The aim of the “face pass” system is to provide an easier payment method for senior citizens who are not comfortable with other electronic payments.
Source: soranews24.com