Japan to Unleash Self-Driving Taxis in Time for Tokyo 2020 Games www.reuters.com

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 5 months ago in Science & Technology Auto & Transportation

Japanese robotics maker ZMP Inc has partnered with a taxi operator in Tokyo, as part of its plans to launch a self-driving taxi in the city in time for the 2020 Olympics, CEO Hisashi Taniguchi said on Thursday.

Japan's taxi industry, faced with a labor crunch due to an aging population, has been looking at new technologies to drive growth. The sector may also have to deal with more competition in the future if the government allows ride-sharing services such as Uber to operate across the country.