Driverless vehicles are expected to make a big impact in the travel industry (self-driving hotels anyone?), starting with Tokyo’s Haneda Airport where driverless buses are being tested.
The autonomous buses are still in trial mode so they’re being tested well away from airplanes and cargo.
Japanese airline All Nippon Airways has said if the trial proves successful, they hope to use the driverless buses to transport passengers at the Toyko airport by 2020.
You may be wondering how exactly these driverless buses know where they’re going? Apparently it’s thanks magnetic trackers embedded into the ground, guiding the bus along its route.
The bus will also have a control system that allows an operator to monitor progress in real time and take control when needed.
Senior Vice President of ANA Shigeru Hattori said the carrier was always “striving to move the industry forward.”
“This autonomous bus will help ease the flow of traffic in the airport and help enhance the travelling experience for passengers.”
Senior Vice President of ANA Shigeru Hattori
“In addition to boosting convenience, the autonomous bus will also allow for safer travel within the airport and we will continue the tests until the technology reaches our high safety grade,” he said.
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