Participation in the "town mobility" demonstration experiment using NAVYA's ARMA (autonomous driving bus) in the Chuo-dori liveliness creation social experiment

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 General Lease Co., Ltd. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President: Hiroaki Oda, hereinafter referred to as Fuyo Lease), Nippon Signal Company,Limited (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President: Hidehiko Tsukamoto, hereinafter referred to as Nippon Signal) is conducting a demonstration experiment of "townscape mobility" using autonomous driving buses in a social experiment to create bustle on Chuo Street in Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture. (hereinafter referred to as this demonstration experiment). This was announced by the "autonomous driving Introduction Study Group *1", which is made up of Yokkaichi City, transportation operators, economic organizations, and other stakeholders, as well as the "Yokkaichi Smart Region Core Promotion Council *2", which was launched in 2021. The project aims to cooperate with demonstration experiments aimed at creating a smart city through the use of autonomous driving buses and other forms of mobility on Chuo-dori (Chuo-dori) between Kintetsu Yokkaichi Station and JR Yokkaichi Station. The purpose of this event is to explore issues related to the implementation of autonomous driving in society.

Macnica, Mie Kotsu, and Sangi Railway will participate in this council, and as the representative company of the Mobility Working Group, Macnica will work through demonstration experiments to introduce next-generation mobility, including autonomous driving, and create MaaS businesses.

In this demonstration test, as in March, NAVYA's ARMA*3, a autonomous driving bus without a steering wheel, accelerator, or brake, will be operated on Chuo-dori. In this demonstration experiment, in order to verify signal recognition at intersections, which is a new technical issue in autonomous driving, we will perform "signal coordination" with technical cooperation from Japan traffic lights and verify autonomous driving technology near signalized intersections.

In addition, a semi-transmissive display is installed inside the vehicle, and it is used for communication between passengers and remote monitors before and after boarding and disembarking, and by distributing promotional videos, it is possible to verify a sense of security when boarding and new transportation value. will be carried out.

Regarding remote monitoring and group management of various mobility, we will set up a monitoring center in the city hall to bring it closer to practical use, and conduct demonstration experiments and verifications with a view to the future implementation of autonomous driving society and the creation of MaaS business. .

In this demonstration experiment, Macnica will utilize its past experience in operating demonstration experiments related to autonomous driving transportation services to operate an autonomous driving bus that tours Yokkaichi Chuo-dori, as well as the data acquisition, setup, and technology necessary for autonomous driving driving. We will provide relevant materials and acquired data to verify effectiveness. 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 provide autonomous driving bus through the "autonomous driving Demonstration Experiment Support Service Program*5" business alliance with Macnica, and Mie Kotsu and Sangi Railway will provide the autonomous driving bus operator and the inside of the vehicle. We provide "security personnel" to ensure safety inside and outside the vehicle while it is in operation. Nippon Signal provides a "signal coordination system" that conveys signal information from traffic signals to autonomous driving cars.

[Outline of this demonstration experiment]
■ Schedule: September 22nd (Thursday) to October 16th (Sunday), 2022
■ Hours: 10:00 to 17:00 (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)
■Boarding method: advance reservation + unlimited boarding on the day (advance reservation and boarding registration from the dedicated reservation site or CTY Connect app)

*We will take sufficient measures against the COVID-19 such as measuring the temperature of the driver and the test car, 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