Remote-monitored driverless cars tested on Japan public roads

December 15, 2017

Tokyo- Tests of driverless cars under a remotely monitored system were conducted on public roads in Tokyo and a town in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Thursday.

According to the Tokyo metropolitan government and others, the self-driving tests represented Level 4, or autonomous driving without the driver. They were the first tests conducted based on the National Police Agency's new guidelines on public road tests of autonomous vehicles, announced in June.

In the test in Tokyo, a driverless car traveled some 150 meters at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour on a road in Koto Ward. A person sat in the rear seat in case of emergency, and another monitored the vehicle from a distant location to remotely control it if needed.

In the test in the Aichi town of Kota, a car drove on a road some 700 meters long near a community center at speeds of up to 15 kph.

Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura, who rode in the test vehicle, said, "I experienced what we should expect in the near future, which is just around the corner."

Hoping to globally advertise Japan's cutting-edge technologies during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, the metropolitan government is supporting companies that aim to put autonomous driving into practical use.

The metropolitan government is considering offering areas near Tokyo International Airport at Haneda as testing grounds for self-driving cars. Jiji Press