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Waymo Robotaxis Are Coming to Tokyo in 2025
Alphabet’s autonomous vehicle subsidiary, Waymo, is set to expand its operations outside the United States for the first time. The company has announced plans to begin testing its robotaxis on public roads in Tokyo, Japan in early 2025.
This move marks a significant milestone for Waymo as it looks to test its technology in a dense urban environment with unique traffic and infrastructure challenges. Tokyo’s left-hand driving rules and densely populated cityscape will provide an exciting opportunity for the company to further develop and refine its autonomous vehicle capabilities.
Waymo’s so-called “road trips” program, which has been focused on dozens of U.S. cities thus far, will now include Tokyo as a new test location. The initiative aims to bring Waymo’s technology to various cities around the world, each presenting unique challenges that require adjustments and improvements to its autonomous driving systems.
Initially, a human operator will manually drive Waymo’s vehicles in the Japanese capital to map key areas such as Minato, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Chiyoda, Chūō, Shinagawa, and Kōtō. This manual mapping phase is crucial for the company to ensure its autonomous systems are well-prepared to navigate Tokyo’s complex streets.
Waymo has partnered with local taxi-hailing app GO and taxi company Nihon Kotsu to support its Japanese “road trip.” Nihon Kotsu will be responsible for managing and servicing Waymo’s self-driving Jaguar I-Pace vehicles.
Source: techcrunch.com
