Waymo, Alphabet's autonomous car division, will start testing its driverless cars on public roads in Japan next week.
This is the company's first attempt outside the US, exporting its cutting-edge technology to a new, complicated market. Although Waymo has not announced plans for a commercial robotaxi service in Japan, the tests are viewed as an important step in the company's expansion globally.
The Starting Point for Waymo's Expansion Globally
Waymo's move to introduce its autonomous cars in Japan is a giant step towards the company's vision of transforming transportation globally. The cars will start a data-gathering process to familiarize themselves with the nuances of Japanese traffic, such as driving through left-hand traffic, which is a special challenge for autonomous cars from nations where right-hand driving is practiced.
The cars will also experiment with the nuances of driving in high-density urban areas.
Wayvo International Trials in Challenging Tokyo Urban Setting
To make the testing go smoothly, Waymo has joined forces with Nihon Kotsu, a local taxi fleet operator, to manage the cars during testing. Approximately 25 autonomous vehicles will be used, and the first of these has already been seen in a Tokyo parking lot.
Nihon Kotsu-trained drivers will manually drive the vehicles through the early phases of the testing, with a concentration on gathering high-density mapping data.
According to The Verge, the trials will be conducted in seven central wards of Tokyo, including popular areas such as Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Minato.
Tokyo's distinctive city environment will be the perfect test bed for Waymo's technology. Famous for its crowded, twisting lanes and dense throngs of pedestrians and cyclists, Tokyo offers a challenging obstacle course for autonomous cars.
Waymo engineers are ready for these challenges, and the cars will be watched intently as they learn to navigate the crowded streets. The intention is to gather data on road characteristics and traffic flow to hone the autonomous systems.
Waymo's Commitment to Local Neighborhoods
Nicole Gavel, Waymo's business development and strategic partnerships lead, highlighted the firm's focus on safety and building trust with communities.
Waymo has engaged in close collaboration with local government authorities, first responders, and local community groups to ensure proper integration of its technology within Tokyo's transport network.
Gavel reaffirmed that the company's values, such as safety and trust, underpin its activities both in the U.S. and internationally.
Waymo's Ambitious Global Vision for Autonomous Travel
Waymo's entry into Japan is one of a series of moves to expand its self-driving services. The company currently has commercial robotaxi services in several U.S. cities, such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin. Expanding to Silicon Valley, Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, DC,
Waymo is also on the verge of becoming a global autonomous transportation leader. It's also setting out to conduct further road trip testing in cities such as San Diego and Las Vegas
