Prior to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic, Japan has started testing unmanned passenger buses in the Prefecture Gunma, northeast of Tokyo. Such field tests of unmanned passenger buses are conducted in Japan for the first time and are expected to use during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
At the moment, the route of the unmanned bus is short – only 1 km and the buses themselves move at a speed of 20 km / h. Vehicles are equipped with laser sensors, a variety of cameras, a GPS navigator and the corresponding equipment that automatically sets speed, brakes, and turns. The unmanned passenger buses accurately determine the position of the traffic light and its location on the road relative to other vehicles.
Currently, in Japan, there is no legislation that regulates the use of unmanned passenger buses on the roads. However, a legal loophole was found to conduct such field testing: the bus driver is constantly in his place and is monitoring the situation, ready to take control at any moment.
It is noted that the field trials will continue until March 2019, and practical application on the roads of Japanese cities is scheduled to begin by 2020 when the Summer Olympics will be held in Tokyo. By the same time, local lawmakers will have to create an appropriate legal framework.
