The transportation situation is undergoing dramatic changes, including the "2024 problem" in the logistics and transportation industries and the shrinking of bus routes in local areas. One of the expected measures to address these issues is the social implementation of autonomous driving. Although research and development of autonomous vehicles has made steady progress worldwide, there have been reports of the suspension of demonstration tests in response to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. In addition, it has been pointed out that the involved momentum is somewhat diminishing. As a technology, how is autonomous driving being utilized now and how will it progress in the future? This is a report on the discussion "What is self-driving? Let's all think about the future with autonomous driving" held on May 18.
The panel discussion took place at Ariake Arena (Koto City, Tokyo Prefecture) as part of the "SuShi Tech Tokyo" event, which aims to promote a sustainable urban model of the future from Tokyo. Kei Takeoka, a motor journalist, moderated the lively discussion among five panelists.
Smooth cycle of "recognition," "judgment," and "action"
First, Masahiko Kato, an invited researcher at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), who has been involved in the development of automobiles as an engineer, presented a topic on the technological trends and current status of autonomous driving. Driving is a cycle involving "recognition" of the driving environment, "judgment" based on that recognition, and subsequent "action." In autonomous driving, a machine performs all of the actions that a human would perform when driving a vehicle.
To perform all three operations smoothly, information must be constantly collected about the vehicle's surroundings in 360°. Sensors attached to the vehicle body play this role in self-driving cars. Specifically, there are cameras that determine the shape of surrounding obstacles and a radar to measure the distance from them using radio waves and light. Making a plan for safe and smooth driving based on the information collected through these sensors corresponds to "judgment" in autonomous driving.
Next, Kato explained that there are six levels of autonomous driving, from 0 to 5. Among these, the major turning point is "conditional driving automation," which corresponds to Level 3. In Level 3 and beyond, the driving subject changes from "human" to "system (machine);" humans can do things other than driving. In addition, this is an important boundary because humans will no longer have to assume responsibility for driving.
Kato positions autonomous driving technology as "a means to achieve the goals of ensuring safety and freedom of movement, as well as social issues." He concluded his presentation by citing laws and regulations, responsibility, and social acceptability as key points that will be important for future social implementation.
How to utilize data is a development trend
Taiko Otsuka, Partner, Deloitte Tohmatsu Financial Advisory LLC, introduced examples of real-world applications of self-driving cars. The keyword mentioned was "CASE," a term that has become a trend in the automotive industry since the late 2010s. CASE is a term coined from the initial letters of "Connected," "Automated/Autonomous," "Shared & Service," and "Electrification." It has been proposed since around 2016 as a way of thinking about the future of the automotive industry.
Of particular importance is "Connected," which refers to a situation in which the involved car is always connected to the internet, just like a smartphone. In terms of car functions, this corresponds to the car navigation system appropriately displaying the driving location and nearby restaurants and sightseeing spots. Recently, it has also become possible to analyze human driving habits and adjust the amount of insurance payout according to tendencies in accelerating, braking, etc.
Otsuka also mentioned that "robotaxis" equivalent to Level 4 are in operation in San Francisco, USA, where she used to live. They are being used for various purposes, including ridesharing.
Thus, rather than the car itself, how to use the data obtained through the car has become a recent development trend in the automotive industry. Autonomous driving is also expected to be central in such business trends.
In Ibaraki, buses have become a popular way for residents to travel
Masahiro Hashimoto, mayor of Sakai Town, Ibaraki Prefecture, presented an example of social implementation of autonomous driving in Japan. Sakai Town is known as the municipality that introduced ARMA, a self-driving bus that started to circulate around the town in 2020. ARMA, which is capable of Level 3 autonomous driving, has been in operation without any accidents since its introduction, with the exception of one accident caused by another party. It became a popular form of transportation for local residents and remains a much-loved fixture to this day.
According to Hashimoto, the background to the introduction of ARMA was the unique local traffic situation in Sakai Town. Sakai Town does not have a train station in the area and has been using cabs and welfare buses, but the aging facilities and costs have become an issue. Moreover, with an aging population and many elderly people returning their licenses, they were also faced with the need to maintain public transportation for their daily lives.
The widespread awareness among residents about automated vehicles, "I don't know if we need them right now, but I'm sure that we will need them in five−ten years" (Hashimoto), was a driving force behind the introduction of such vehicles. After the introduction of buses, cooperation from residents continued in various ways, including the provision of land for bus stops and waiting areas. As of September 2024, the total number of passengers had exceeded 30,000. This is a case where the understanding of the general public has encouraged the social implementation of science and technology.
"Civic pride" also increases happiness
What is the reason behind the continued acceptance of self-driving buses in Sakai Town even after their introduction? Ayako Taniguchi, Professor at the Degree Programs in Systems and Information Engineering, the Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, reporting on the factors behind this. Taniguchi, who has been studying the various ways in which urban planning affects the psychology of residents, described how the introduction of self-driving buses is related to the "civic pride" of Sakai Town residents.
Civic pride is an indicator of the degree to which people who live or work in a particular area are proud of that place. In recent years, it has garnered attention as an important factor in considering urban planning because it can serve as an indicator of local residents' sense of involvement and, ultimately, their willingness to improve town development.
Taniguchi conducted a questionnaire survey of Sakai Town residents one year after the introduction of ARMA. The results illustrate that self-driving buses tended to have high "popularity" and "pride" among 30 survey items, including local events and policies. The survey also found that ARMA is perceived as a new facility that will characterize the city.
In fact, ARMA appears on local products and wrapping designs, suggesting that it has become an established feature of Sakai Town. The result was not only a means of transportation but also an increase in the civic pride of the residents and their subjective level of happiness.
Logistic services as an example: can they meet specific needs?
After the panelists presented their topics, the entire group moved on to a discussion about how autonomous driving will be used in the future and the challenges it may face.
As one example of the use of self-driving cars, Otsuka introduced a logistic service being developed in Sweden. In this service, a single operator controls multiple self-driving trucks using a terminal that looks like a game controller to perform delivery operations. As a safety measure, a program for immediate emergency shutdown in the event of an emergency is equipped (such as a nationwide power outage or communication failure). In addition to the future shortage of drivers, there is also room for active use in Japan, where various natural disasters are expected.
However, current technology alone will not solve all the problems associated with logistics. For example, when goods are delivered from a distribution center to the recipient, a higher level of service is often required than for any other part of the journey. Therefore, it has been pointed out that fully automated delivery without human intervention may not be able to fully meet specific human needs.
Dealing with problems: obtaining results is difficult in early stages
In this connection, Taniguchi pointed out the challenges in self-driving buses from the perspective of the driver's role. According to Taniguchi, public-transportation drivers in particular are responsible for operating the vehicles and ensuring the safety and comfort of passengers. Therefore, in a self-driving vehicle without a driver, it may not be easy to ask about a destination. In addition, there may be delays in responding if someone suddenly becomes ill in the car.
One possible solution in this situation is to "create a system that enables immediate contact with the administrator in the event of trouble" (Taniguchi). As an example, the ARMA in operation in Sakai Town has an operator on board who responds to emergencies. In addition, the logistics service provider has set up an operation center to constantly check the operation status and has implemented a system that allows personnel to be immediately mobilized in the event of an accident. Like elevators, the basic approach could be to remotely monitor things, with humans intervening if necessary.
There are also concerns about the future widespread adoption. Regarding the spread of autonomous driving as a technology, Kato cites the automatic braking function that many cars are equipped with as a hint. This function is based on the radiowave radar technology mentioned at the beginning of this text. However, in the past, it did not garner much attention, and its research and development was often met with harsh criticism. "Newly developed technologies, especially in their infancy, do not produce results soon," says Kato, but it is predicted that autonomous driving, like the automatic braking function, will begin to spread at an accelerated rate from a certain stage.
Necessary to foster a community that watches over and tolerates the technology
There are many challenges to overcome before self-driving cars can be fully implemented in society as a means of transportation. Of all, the challenge of particular difficulty is the costs of use. The reality is that reducing the costs is difficult unless the technology becomes more widespread. Hashimoto said that the introduction of autonomous driving on a nationwide level is unrealistic but added, "However, there are regions where it is possible to introduce it right now. In such places, it may be possible to replace manual driving with autonomous driving." This will require the development of rules and the fostering of a community that will watch over and tolerate the presence of self-driving vehicles.
Automobiles are an indispensable part of modern life. Further, because anyone can use autonomous driving, it is an area where each person is easily aware of the benefits and challenges of related technologies. Considering this, the social implementation of autonomous driving may be an opportunity to experience the process of science and technology becoming widespread in real time.
(MUROI Hirohito / Science Writer)
Original article was provided by the Science Portal and has been translated by Science Japan.