Japan to roadtest Robot Taxi driverless cars in 2016
A Japanese tech enterprise has announced its intention to pilot automated taxis in Fujisawa in 2016.
Robot Taxi, a joint enterprise between automated vehicle producer ZMP and mobile internet firm DeNa, will ferry around 50 residents near the Tokyo township about their daily businesses in order to secure real world testing for its tech.
As the debate rages globally between Uber’s drivers and the traditional taxi firms, companies such as Robot Taxi are essentially working to eliminate the human element from the industry.
With the likes of Uber, Google, Ford and more reportedly working on unmanned vehicles, the tech is likely to be the next genuine disruption in the auto bracket.
Robot Taxi is looking to get its autos up to scratch just in time to service the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by testing its vehicles on open thoroughfares around the region with crew members aboard to spectate and retake control should the vehicle be at risk of a collision.
The street trial was branded as “quite amazing” by town governor Yuji Kuroiwa.
Furthermore, Shinjiro Koizumi, local MP and son of former PM Junichiro Koizumi said the automated cars will be on the road "faster than people expect".