Arab News, Tokyo

Japanese taxi company Hinomaru Kotsu has launched its autonomous cabs at a demonstration in front of hundreds of Japanese and foreign journalists.

Through an application on his smartphone, a foreigner packed a taxi equipped with autonomous electronics and sensors.

As the car’s doors open automatically, the customer can get in and input their desired location on a tablet installed in the taxi.

During the demonstration the vehicle traveled three kilometers from the Nihonbashi station to the Marunouchi district.

The foreigner also tested the Robocar Walk, a prototype of the ZMP company, which specializes in artificial intelligence and domestic robotization.  

The small vehicle traveling at a speed of 6 km per hour is controlled via a tablet. Once the destination has been chosen, the vehicle operates completely autonomously recognizing obstacles and anticipating the movements of surrounding pedestrians. 

The vehicle is intended to transport the elderly, the disabled, foreigners who speak little or no Japanese, and people with children.

The cost of this robot is estimated at 100,000 yen per month to be used in airports, shopping centers and tourist sites. 

The partners Mitsubishi, JTB, T-Cat, Hinomaru, Airport limousine made an innovative alliance and marked the first goal in development of autonomous commercial vehicles in the international market .