Participating in a mobility demonstration experiment using autonomous driving EV buses with the aim of creating an attractive downtown area on Yokkaichi Chuo-dori Street ~ MaaS demonstration experiment using a digital stamp rally will also be conducted at the same time ~

Macnica, Inc. (Head office: Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture; Representative Director and President Representative Director and President: Kazumasa Hara Kazumasa; hereinafter referred to as Macnica), SANGI Railway Co., Ltd. (Head office: Tsu City, Mie Prefecture; Representative Director and President: Watanabe Kazuaki; hereinafter referred to as Sangi Railway), Fuyo General Lease Co., Ltd. (Representative Director and President: Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Oda Hiroaki; hereinafter referred to as Fuyo Lease), Fuyo Auto Lease Co., Ltd. (Head office: Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Nagano Katsunori; hereinafter referred to as Fuyo Auto Lease), Nippon Signal Company,Limited, Ltd. (Head office: Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo; President and CEO: Tsukamoto Hidehiko; hereinafter referred to as Nippon Signal), and this time, CTY Corporation (Head office: Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture; Representative Director and President: Watanabe Kazutaka; hereinafter referred to as CTY) will join the project to use autonomous driving EV buses to create an attractive downtown area in Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture (hereinafter referred to as the "Project Demonstration"). This project is the fourth time the project has been carried out, and is being carried out on Chuo-dori Street, including between Kintetsu Yokkaichi Station and JR Yokkaichi Station (hereinafter referred to as ^​Chuo-dori Street⁾, to verify the creation of lively areas through the use of autonomous driving buses and visualization of attractive destinations, as well as to explore issues related to the social implementation of autonomous driving Introduction Study Group* 1 ," which is composed of stakeholders from Yokkaichi City, autonomous driving organizations, etc., and the "Yokkaichi Smart Region Core Promotion Council* 2 ," which was launched in fiscal year 2021, in order to create a smart city.

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 experiment, we operated two GAUSSIN MACNICA MOBILITY's "ARMA" ^*3, which are autonomous driving EV buses without a steering wheel, accelerator, or brake, on the same Chuo-dori street as last September. With technical cooperation from Nippon Signal, we will carry out "signal coordination" and conduct verification of automatic driving technology near signalized intersections. Additionally, semi-transparent displays will be installed inside the two vehicles to verify the value of transportation by distributing promotional videos. Furthermore, we will conduct demonstration experiments with more social implementation in mind, such as verifying that AI provides automatic voice guidance near bus stops and transmitting voice guidance that matches the actions of passengers while riding.

autonomous driving EV bus ARMA

Installation of a transflective display in the vehicle interior

In addition, to ensure safe riding, we will set up a remote monitoring center within City Hall to bring the system closer to practical use, and conduct demonstration experiments and verification with an eye toward future implementation of autonomous driving in society and the creation of MaaS businesses. As part of this new effort, we will conduct remote monitoring using local 5G provided by CTY for a limited time to verify the effectiveness of video quality inside and outside the vehicle.

Macnica will utilize its past experience in operating demonstration experiments related to autonomous driving transportation services to operate autonomous driving EV buses that travel around Yokkaichi Chuo-dori, as well as acquire and set up the data necessary for autonomous driving driving, provide technical documentation, and other services. We will provide the acquired data and verify the effectiveness. In addition, by linking vehicle travel data to Macnica 's remote mobility management system "everfleet ^*4", it will be possible to check the travel information of autonomous driving EV buses in real time from a remote location. . This will enable a single driver to manage multiple vehicles in the future, with the aim of resolving the social issue of labor shortages.

Fuyo Lease and Fuyo Auto Lease will provide autonomous driving EV buses through the `` autonomous driving Demonstration Support Service Program ^*5'' business partnership with Macnica, and Mie Kotsu and Sangi Railway will provide operators for autonomous driving EV buses. . Nippon Signal provides a "signal coordination system" that conveys signal information from traffic signals to autonomous driving cars.

Yokkaichi City is aiming to build an expanded MaaS that combines functions such as a bulk reservation and payment system for various types of public transportation and parking reservations. In May of this year, we were selected for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's ``R5 Smart City Implementation Support Project,'' and we are proceeding with the construction of Yokkaichi's version of MaaS as one of the demonstration projects. In line with this, this fiscal year we will conduct a MaaS demonstration experiment using a digital stamp rally at the same time as autonomous driving demonstration experiment. The Digital Stamp Rally encourages the use of mobility by superimposing the driving positions of autonomous driving buses and Mie Kotsu buses and the boarding and alighting stations of personal mobility vehicles on a digital map, improving the circulation of visitors around Chuo-dori and creating a lively atmosphere. Verify.

[Summary of this demonstration experiment]
■Date: Wednesday, November 1, 2023 to Sunday, November 19, 2023 (excluding Mondays)
■Time: 10:00-16:00 (13 flights a day)
■ autonomous driving vehicle: autonomous driving EV bus ARMA (2 vehicles in operation)
■Driving route: Round trip route between "JR Yokkaichi Station Rotary" and "Kintetsu Yokkaichi Station Rotary" (approximately 1.1km one way)
■Ride method: Advance reservation slot (holidays only), same-day free ride (weekdays/holidays)
(Pre-ride registration from the dedicated website or CTY Connect app)

*1: autonomous driving Introduction Study 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 eight meetings have been held so far. This demonstration experiment is considered the 9th conference. In addition, this conference is collaborating with the Yokkaichi Smart Region Core to consider the introduction of autonomous driving towards the creation of smart cities.

*2: Yokkaichi Smart Region Core Promotion Council
In order for civics and academics to come together, collaborate and cooperate with each other, and solve various regional issues, we will utilize cutting-edge technologies such as ICT, including IoT and AI, to enhance the functionality and attractiveness of cities and increase their vitality. A council established in 2021 with the aim of realizing a smart city.

*3: autonomous driving EV bus ARMA (manufactured by GAUSSIN MACNICA MOBILITY)
ARMA is an autonomous driving shuttle bus equipped with an autonomous driving system. It is an EV (electric vehicle) model and can run automatically for about 9 hours (100 km) on a single charge.

Total length: 4,750mm
Overall height: 2,650mm
Overall width: 2,110mm
Weight: 2,400kg
Gross vehicle weight: 3,450kg
Number of passengers: up to 6 people
Power source: electric motor
Maximum speed: 18km/h (average speed during operation is about 15km/h)
autonomous driving level: Level 2 (technically equivalent to Level 3)
Other: In the event of an emergency, the passenger driver will intervene manually

*4: everfleet
In order to put autonomous driving into practical use, it is necessary to remotely monitor the passengers inside the vehicle and the surroundings of the vehicle. In addition to mobility location information and camera images inside and outside the vehicle, everfleet integrates and centrally visualizes vehicle data such as vehicle speed, steering, and remaining battery power, and also collaborates with external data in coordination with traffic infrastructure such as traffic lights. Is possible. This makes it possible to grasp the operation status from a remote location in real time and operate autonomous driving mobility safely and securely. Furthermore, the system can simultaneously manage a wide variety of mobility vehicles in multiple regions and automatically detect and notify abnormalities during operation, allowing a single remote operator to efficiently manage the operation of autonomous driving mobility vehicles. By doing so, we can realize labor-saving operations and contribute to improving transportation profitability.

*5: autonomous driving Demonstration Experiment Support Service Program (hereinafter referred to as the Program)
Macnica and Fuyo Leasing and Fuyo Auto Lease jointly established the program. Fuyo Auto Lease Co., Ltd. will purchase and own the autonomous driving vehicle "ARMA" manufactured by Gaussin Macnica Mobility from Macnica and provide it to Macnica as a demonstration vehicle for demonstration experiments, taking advantage of its business foundation in automobile asset management and vehicle leasing, which are its strengths. 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 planning of demonstration experiments to autonomous driving implementation work and operation. Fuyo Lease leverages its customer base, including local governments and transportation operators, to collaborate in customer relationships that propose service programs. For more information, please visit the website.
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