Japan’s National Police Agency (NPA) has initiated deliberations on autonomous driving, covering such topics as recognition of non-driving tasks during autonomous driving. By the end of the current fiscal year, the NPA hopes to establish some direction for policy. The Japanese government has a goal of making Level 3 autonomous driving feasible by 2020. At...
autonomous driving
Denso Advances Development of Semiconductors for Self-Driving Cars
Denso Corp. (TYO:6902) is accelerating its development of semiconductors for perception, judgment and control functionality in self-driving cars. The company is working on a semiconductor that uses sensor data to enable a level of perception on par with that of humans and another that allows for human-level snap decisions. The former, which is targeted for...
ARM Survey: Many Remain Skeptical About Autonomous Driving
A recent survey conducted by major semiconductor manufacturer ARM Holdings plc has found that 45 percent of 4,000 respondents across the U.S., Europe and the Asia-Pacific region are skeptical of current AI-enabled autonomous driving technology. However, the survey found also that interest in the technology is growing, especially in Asia, and that two-thirds of respondents...
ZF Looks to Bolster Engineer Base for Development of Advanced Safety Technologies
German-based ZF Friedrichshafen AG’s Japanese branch, ZF Japan Co. Ltd., will expand its recruitment of engineers in the field of advanced safety product development, with plans to hire up to 120 new engineers by the end of 2017. The company is strengthening its development regime for safety technology, including that for next-generation cars, in its...
Honda Turns to Continental as Sole Parts Provider for New Driver Assist System
Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (TYO:7267) will adopt a system from Germany’s Continental AG for its expressway autonomous driving technology to go into commercial use in 2020. The Japanese automaker is aiming to gain a competitive edge in the competitive development of autonomous driving technology by procuring parts from Continental, which has extensive know-how in this...
Autonomous Bus Investigation Committee Offers Tokyo Test Rides of Navya Arma Shuttle
The Autonomous Bus Investigation Committee is holding a test ride event for the Navya Arma self-driving shuttle bus at Prince Park in Tokyo’s Minato Ward. The event began on July 18 with a demonstration of the bus’s features to media outlets. This was followed later that day by the opening of public test rides, which...
Nvidia and Baidu to Collaborate on Autonomous Driving
U.S. company Nvidia Corp. recently announced that it will work with China’s Baidu Inc. to utilize AI in a variety of fields, including autonomous driving and the establishment of cloud data centers. The companies will offer a deep learning platform using Nvidia’s next-generation GPUs and Baidu’s cloud. Furthermore, Nvidia’s AI platform Drive PX will be...
Infineon Eyes Further Growth in Japan’s Automotive Semiconductor Market
Infineon Technologies Japan KK Vice President Hajime Kambe recently revealed that the company expects its average annual growth rate of domestic automotive sales to reach 11 percent or higher over the next five years. Kambe said that increased orders have resulted from the establishment of a global support system, as well as from auto industry...
Japan Automotive Daily to Host Auto Technology Executive Briefing in Tokyo
The Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun (Japan Automotive Daily) together with IHS Markit will host an automotive technology executive briefing to discuss the role of digital transformation that is shaping the auto industry today. The conference will take place on July 27 in Tokyo and is open to the public for registration. Converged Digital Landscape of Autonomous […]
G7 Transport Ministers Agree to Accelerate Development of Autonomous Driving Technology
Transport ministers from the Group of Seven major advanced economies (G7) have issued a ministerial declaration that includes accelerating the development of autonomous driving technology. While hastening the creation of technical standards under the framework of the United Nations, the working group established under the auspices of the G7 Transport Ministers’ Meeting will continue exchanging...
Hitachi AMS Shifts Focus to Electric Mobility and Autonomous Driving
Hitachi Automotive Systems Ltd. (Hitachi AMS) will start beefing up its operations concerning electric mobility and autonomous driving. The company is looking to win orders from automakers that are supplying or have decided to adopt electric mobility solutions and autonomous driving products. This is all happening as the industry assumes an accelerated spread of electric...
WP29 to Work on International Safety Standards for Hands-Free Driving
The U.N.’s World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP29) will begin developing safety standards this autumn for autonomous driving starting at Level 3, which covers conditional automation. Having taken the initiative in deliberations at WP29, Japan will also take the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic and cybersecurity measures into consideration as the country seeks...
Mitsubishi Electric Tackles Autonomous Driving From Two Sides
Mitsubishi Electric Corp. (TYO:6503) President and CEO Masaki Sakuyama recently revealed his company’s plans for realizing autonomous driving. Speaking at a business strategy briefing in Tokyo, Sakuyama said Mitsubishi Electric intends to focus on developing both autonomous systems and cooperative vehicle–infrastructure systems. The company is seeking to develop autonomous systems that will control autonomous driving...
ZF and Hella Form Partnership to Develop Autonomous Driving Technology
German-based ZF Friedrichshafen AG, commonly referred to as ZF, announced on June 20 that it has entered into a strategic partnership with German electrical components manufacturer Hella kGaA Hueck and Co. whereby the two companies will jointly develop camera modules and radar systems for autonomous cars. In an environment where autonomous driving technology is rapidly...
Subaru to Equip Cars With Autonomous Driving Technology for Expressways This Summer
Subaru Corp. (TYO:7270) has developed autonomous driving technology that automatically controls the car’s accelerator, brakes and steering wheel for all speed ranges on expressways. The company will first employ this technology in the new Levorg and WRX S4 models that will launch this summer, eventually making it standard in almost all of the company’s vehicles....
MLIT Decides on New Policy for Bringing Autonomous Driving to Japan’s Roads
Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure Transport and Tourism (MLIT) has decided on a new policy for tackling autonomous driving technology. In addition to developing devices for providing information enabling autonomous driving vehicles to merge smoothly onto expressways, MLIT will begin verification testing of autonomous driving technology in mountainous areas, as well as in new towns...
Honda Reveals Strategy to Tackle Next-Generation Technologies
Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (TYO:7267) announced on June 8 its strategy for next-generation technologies. In autonomous driving technology, Honda is targeting 2025 for the introduction of a Level 4 highly automated driving system, which allows for fully autonomous driving in most situations. Under its vehicle electrification strategy, the company will develop an electric vehicle (EV)-dedicated...
JAMA, MLIT to Submit Autonomous Steering Proposal to WP29 in Bid for Leading Role
The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) will compile a proposal for standards on autonomous steering technology by the end of 2017. JAMA will submit the proposal with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) and other organizations to a specialist conference of the U.N.’s World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP29). The...
Japanese Government Finalizes Public–Private ITS Initiative/Roadmaps 2017
The Japanese government recently concluded deliberations to create Public–Private ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) Initiatives/Roadmaps 2017. The government revised its definition of autonomous driving, specifying forecasts and implementation time frames for the three areas of private vehicles, logistics and transportation in rural areas. The plan incorporates policies to formulate data necessary for implementation while outlining institutional...
Toyota Boshoku Eyes Autonomous Driving in Plans to Develop New Comfort Seats
Toyota Boshoku Corp. (TYO:3116) is aiming to develop four new seats for increased passenger comfort in compact cars, with the company planning to commercialize these seats between 2018 and 2019. With its eye on autonomous driving coming into practical use, Toyota Boshoku is placing comfort as a critical area in the market of automobile interiors....
NTT Data, Gunma University Target Fully Autonomous Driving for 2020
NTT Data Corp. (TYO:9613) and Gunma University recently announced that they will collaborate on bringing next-generation vehicles capable of fully autonomous driving into practical use. They will jointly research technical elements required for a society with fully autonomous driving, including AI and technology for Big Data processing. The two partners will start demonstration tests in...
Japan’s LDP Puts Forth Policy Proposals for Autonomous Driving, Seeks Tie-up With Germany
Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) recently made its policy proposals for autonomous driving. Japan’s governing political party called for putting in place a shared database to enhance control technology, as well as for the use of quasi-zenith satellites. In 3D mapping, the LDP is seeking active international cooperation with the likes of Germany so as...
Roland Berger Study: Almost Half of Consumers Would Favor Self-Driving Cars
As many as 46 percent of consumers worldwide would forego having their own cars if self-driving cars became a reality, a Roland Berger study has found. The consulting firm’s survey incorporates the online responses of some 10,000 consumers across 10 countries, including Japan, the U.S., China and Germany. Roland Berger’s position is that automakers and...
Bosch to Commercialize High-Precision Vehicle Tracking System
Robert Bosch GmbH will develop technology that can track a vehicle’s position down to a few centimeters. The technology collects data from onboard cameras and other such sensors, stores it in the cloud, and cross-references it with a highly precise 3D map to accurately find a vehicle’s position. Going forward, the company will commercialize the...
Aioi Nissay Dowa and Gunma University Start Joint Research on Autonomous Cars
Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Co. Ltd. and Gunma University on April 19 launched a joint research project that will push forward the technological pursuit of commercializing fully self-driving vehicles, as well as the development of dedicated insurance products. The pair has launched an on-campus research lecture series and will look to acquire incident data through...
As Self-Driving Cars May Obstruct Traffic, Japan’s Police Reviews Road Laws
Japan’s National Police Agency (NPA) will reconsider how it enforces regulations pertaining to entry onto expressways. Existing laws and regulations are such that strict adherence would possibly leave self-driving cars unable to merge smoothly into traffic, and automakers have requested the NPA to consider traffic conditions and optimize these regulations accordingly. Japan is looking to...
Renesas Successfully Tests Fully Autonomous Demo Car in Tokyo
Renesas Electronics Corp. (TYO:6723) on April 6 showcased a completely automated demo car in Tokyo. The company’s demo cars to date have worked only on the combining of multiple sensors, or sensor fusion. For this release, however, the company got assistance from such outfits as Canada’s University of Waterloo to develop a demo car that...
Nissan’s Ghosn Sees Breakthrough for Autonomous Driving by 2022
Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (TYO:7201) President and CEO Carlos Ghosn gave a speech on March 30 about autonomous driving technology at Slush Tokyo, a startup and technology event held at Tokyo Big Sight. Talking about Nissan’s efforts in this area, Ghosn said that the company will achieve autonomous driving technology for multiple-lane use on highways...
NTN Boosts Next-Generation Vehicle Sensor Accuracy
NTN Corp. (TYO:6472) plans to expand its lineup of automotive sensors for self-driving and other next-generation vehicles. The company has developed technology that increases the resolution of wheel speed sensors by up to 40 times that of existing products on the market by enhancing the sensing method and magnetic encoders. This enhanced detection capability will...
In Race to Autonomous Driving, Japanese Government Considers Image Data Sharing
The Japanese government has begun deliberations on private–public sharing of driving image data gathered for the development of autonomous driving technology. In addition to the enhanced performance of sensors and other devices, the government regards AI that will make judgments on behalf of drivers as being key to autonomous driving. In the realm of driving...
