Macnica (Head office: Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, President: Kazumasa Kazumasa Hara, hereinafter referred to as Macnica), Mie Kotsu Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, President: Kenichi Takeya, hereinafter referred to as Mie Kotsu), SANGI Railway Co., Ltd., Ltd. (Head office: Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture, President: Kazuyo Watanabe, hereinafter referred to as Sangi Railway), Fuyo Sogo Lease Co., Ltd. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President: Yasunori Tsujita, hereinafter referred to as Fuyo Lease) We will participate in the 2nd Next Generation Mobility Demonstration Experiment (hereinafter referred to as this demonstration experiment) utilizing autonomous driving buses in Yokkaichi City, Prefecture. This is in cooperation with a demonstration experiment being carried out by the "autonomous driving Introduction Study Group ^{* 1}" made up of Yokkaichi City, transportation companies, economic organizations, and other stakeholders. The purpose of this event is to run autonomous driving buses on Chuo-dori (hereinafter referred to as Chuo-dori) to explore issues related to the implementation of new means of transportation such as autonomous driving technology.

The "autonomous driving Introduction Study Meeting" was established in 2019, and in 2020, demonstration experiments and panel discussions on various next-generation mobility including autonomous driving vehicles Macnica held. Railways also participated in this demonstration experiment.

Additionally, in Yokkaichi City, efforts are underway to create a smart city through the Yokkaichi Smart Region Core Promotion Council ^{* 2}, which was established in 2021, Macnica, Mie Kotsu, and Sangi Railway are members of this council. As a representative company of the Mobility Working Group, Macnica will contribute to the realization of smart cities in this region by introducing next-generation mobility, including autonomous driving, and creating MaaS businesses.

In this demonstration experiment, NAVYA's "ARMA ^{* 3}", an autonomous autonomous driving bus without a steering wheel, accelerator, or brake, will be operated on Chuo-dori. In addition, remote monitoring and group management of various mobility will be implemented on a trial basis, and verification will be conducted for future MaaS business creation.

In this demonstration experiment, Macnica will leverage its past experience in operating demonstration experiments related to autonomous driving transportation services to operate an autonomous driving bus that tours Chuo-dori, and to acquire and set up the data necessary for autonomous driving driving. , provide technical materials and acquired data, and conduct effectiveness verification. In addition, by linking vehicle travel data to Macnica 's remote monitoring system "Macnica Mobility Data Platform ^{* 4}", it will be possible to check the travel information of autonomous driving buses in real time from a remote location. Furthermore, by utilizing a remote monitoring system, it will be possible in the future for one driver to manage multiple vehicles, with the aim of resolving the social issue of labor shortages.

In addition, in this demonstration experiment, Fuyo Lease will use the `` autonomous driving Demonstration Experiment Support Service Program'' in which Macnica and the Fuyo Lease Group have entered into a business alliance. ^{* Five}" will provide the autonomous driving buses, while Mie Kotsu and Sangi Railway will provide security guards to ensure safety inside and outside the autonomous driving vehicles while they are in operation.

[Outline of this demonstration experiment]
■ Schedule: Saturday, March 19, 2022 to Monday, March 21, 2022
■ Hours: 10:00 to 16:00 (12 flights a day)
■ autonomous driving vehicle: autonomous driving bus ARMA
■Riding route: Round trip route between the JR Yokkaichi Station Rotary and the Kintetsu Yokkaichi Station Rotary (approximately 1.1km each way)

*We will take sufficient measures against the COVID-19 such as measuring the temperature of the driver and test driver, and disinfecting the car with alcohol before boarding.

*1: autonomous driving introduction review meeting
A conference established for the purpose of introducing autonomous driving in Yokkaichi City. The first meeting was held in July 2019, and a total of four meetings have been held so far. This demonstration experiment is positioned as the 5th conference.
In addition, this conference is collaborating with the Yokkaichi Smart Region Core to discuss the introduction of autonomous driving for the creation of a smart city.

*2: Yokkaichi Smart Region Core Promotion Council
The public, private and academic sectors will work together to collaborate and cooperate with each other, and in order to solve the various problems faced by the region, we will utilize cutting-edge technologies such as ICT, including IoT and AI, to enhance the functions and attractiveness of the city and revitalize it. A council established in 2021 with the aim of realizing an overflowing city (smart city).

*3: Self-autonomous driving bus ARMA (manufactured by French company NAVYA)
ARMA is an autonomous shuttle bus equipped with an autonomous driving autonomous driving system. It is an EV (electric vehicle) specification, and can run automatically for about 9 hours (100km) on a single charge.

Overall length: 4,750mm
Height: 2,650mm
Width: 2,110mm
Weight: 2,400kg
Gross vehicle weight: 3,450kg
Number of passengers: Up to 4 people (limited due to new coronavirus measures)
Power source: electric motor
Maximum speed: 18km/h (Average speed of about 15km/h during operation)
autonomous driving level: Level 2 (technically equivalent to level 3)
Others: In case of emergency, the passenger's driver will intervene manually

*4: Macnica Mobility Data Platform (remote monitoring system)
By collecting sensors installed on the vehicle (GPS, camera, etc.) and vehicle CAN information (vehicle speed, rotation speed, steering angle, etc.) and saving the data to the cloud using a high-quality transmission method, 1. A person who monitors multiple vehicles remotely can access the cloud and check the mobility status in real time. In addition, the accumulated data can be applied to check past situations, analyze data, and utilize AI.

*5: autonomous driving Demonstration Experiment Support Service Program (hereinafter referred to as the “Program”)
Macnica, Fuyo Sogo Lease, and Fuyo Auto Lease Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Fuyo Auto Lease") jointly established the program. Fuyo Auto Lease leverages its strengths in automobile asset management and vehicle leasing business base to purchase and own the NAVYA autonomous driving vehicle "ARMA" from Macnica, and provide it to Macnica as a demonstration vehicle for demonstration experiments. To do. Based on our knowledge of autonomous driving technology and our consulting experience, Macnica provides total support for demonstration experiments as a comprehensive point of contact for our customers, from demonstration experiment planning to autonomous driving implementation work and operations. Fuyo Lease will utilize its customer base of local governments, transportation operators, etc. to collaborate in customer relations to propose this service program. Please see the website for details.
https://www.macnica.co.jp/business/maas/news/2021/136501/

*Product names mentioned in the text are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
*Information (including product prices, specifications, etc.) in the news release is current as of the date of the announcement. Please note that it is subject to change without prior notice.

＜Inquiries Regarding This Demonstration Experiment＞
Macnica, Inc. Smart Mobility Division
TEL:045-470-9118
MAIL:auto-solution@macnica.co.jp