Autonomous driving bus, path to social acceptance (first part)

The introduction of autonomous driving buses is being considered in various places due to the shortage of drivers due to aging and the problem of returning license.The momentum is likely to accelerate before FY2022, when relevant laws and regulations are expected to be reviewed.How will the new technology be accepted by the region?In November 2020, the case of Ibaraki Prefecture, a basis for free on regular and regular routes to enhance the migration in the town, is divided into two times in front and rear.

About 7 months from the start of the autonomous driving bus operation.In the nearby Ibaraki prefecture, it is nearing the expansion of the operation route.In the first term, a almost straight road that penetrates the center of the town was free of charge in a form that connects the living base.On the other hand, in the second term, the operation route was increased to two systems, and the one system was a roadside station "Sakai", and the Sakaimachi Working Youth Home "Border Systemi Hall NA / KA / MA" was a departure and departure point.In the middle, the other system will be connected to the Sakaimachi Express Bus Terminal, which will be the departure and arrival point of the highway bus that started operating between JR Tokyo Station on July 1st.。In addition to these routes, new bus stops are added, and it is expected to embody on demand driving.

Mr. Tomoki Saji, President and CEO of the SoftBank Group, who is entrusted with Sakaimachi, said, "Once the operation is started, we want to extend the route from the public transport area that spreads around.I started. So we started expanding the town and the operation route. "

At the beginning of the operation, the company plans to gradually expand the operation route for a total of five years, once a year for the next five years.All routes that were expected to be operated by the fourth term will be realized in the second term in the second term.

Mr. Saji, who has compared the "elevator to move sideways" and a social infrastructure in the town.The operation work in Sakaimachi is positioned as a "practical model that can be deployed horizontally".

"When the mayor was consulted about practical use, the road was narrow, and it was necessary to pay attention to the passing of the oncoming vehicle and the jumping of pedestrians, so I felt that the hurdle was high. However, every road all over the country.Something like this. I thought it would be possible in other areas if it could be put to practical use in Sakaimachi. "

Sakaimachi is a town with a population of about 24,000 located along the Tone River, which flows between Chiba Prefecture, southwest of Ibaraki Prefecture.There is no railway route in the town, and transportation between inside and outside the region is a car.In the area, Tobu Group's Asahi Motor and local Ibaraki Showa Tourism Motor operate route buses.The transportation base connecting the outside of the region is the Sakai Kawakawa Interchange (IC) on the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Expressway (Ken -O Expressway).

The town has decided to introduce it in an autonomous driving bus operated by regular and regular routes (Photo 1).The Navya Auto ARMA (Navia Arma), a 11 -seater automatic driving bus manufactured by Navya in France, will be introduced in three leases, and the operation work will be outsourced to Boldly.

（写真1）町内を走行する自動運転バス。充電設備の設置場所は、1期運行の段階では「境シンパシーホールNA・KA・MA」の1カ所だけだったが、２期運行の段階での必要箇所は３カ所。増設については調整中だ（写真：茂木俊輔）[画像のクリックで拡大表示]

"Navya ARMA" measures the position of the vehicle with the Global Positioning System (GPS), etc. and detects obstacles with 3D (3D) LIDAR, etc.It is a vehicle to do.There is no handle or brake, and when manual operation, operate with a controller similar to manipulating game consoles (Photo 2).

（写真2）自動運転バス「NAVYA ARMA」の車内。座席に腰かけると進行方向の視界を直接には確保しにくいことから、運転手は右手座席の手前に立ち位置を確保する（写真：茂木俊輔）[画像のクリックで拡大表示]

Boldly has a total budget for 5 years 5 before the operation.On the premise of 200 million yen, the roles of the stakeholders are organized for each stage.He himself provides an administrative procedure necessary for on public road driving, such as assessment of autonomous driving routes, relieving security standards, and permission to use roads, creating 3D map data, programming of automatic driving, and providing the automatic driver's operation platform "Dispatcher" developed by the company.Such a role.

In response to the regulation reform, it was also attached to an existing bus stop

The operation starts in November 2020.Initially, it was a round trip between "Border Sympathy Hall NA / KA / MA" and local town development public corporation commissioned the town and operated as a base for regional revitalization (Photo 3).

（写真３）自動運転バスの発着地点の一つである「河岸の駅さかい」。町が民間所有の旧店舗を地域活性化の活動拠点として改修し、運営を地元のさかいまちづくり公社に委託する。地元産小麦を用いたパンの製造・販売拠点やシェアオフィスなどに利用されている（写真：茂木俊輔）[画像のクリックで拡大表示]

In February 2021, the bus stop was added 12 places in the section in the section.Hospitals, child -rearing support facilities, post offices, elementary schools, town halls, banks, and other living bases in the center of the town have enhanced convenience as a living route bus (Figure 1).As of June 2021, the operation is only on weekdays, and the round -trip direction is running 5 in the morning and 5 in the afternoon between 9 and 16:00.

（図1）1期の運行ルート。2020年11月の運行開始当初は、発着地点である２つの拠点を結ぶだけだったが、2021年２月には、その間にバス停を往復両方向で12カ所増設。病院、郵便局、銀行など、区間内に立地する生活拠点を結ぶ生活路線バスとして利便性を高めた（資料提供：BOLDLY）[画像のクリックで拡大表示]

All newly established bus stops were installed free of charge on private premises."We were able to set up in a place we wanted to set up with local cooperation," Saji emphasized the local welcome.Of these, one bus stop installed in front of the hospital was attached to an existing bus stop used by Showa Tourism Motor.

Under the Road Traffic Law, parking at an existing bus stop was prohibited in principle.However, in January 2021, regulations were alleviated, and if they agreed with the route bus operator, the autonomous bus stop would be able to use the existing bus stop.Following the regulation reform, this bus stop was realized.

As of June 2021, the staff involved in the operation is a driver who gets into the vehicle and a remote monitor who handles the autonomous vehicle operation platform "DISPATCHER" in the remote monitoring room on the first floor of the "Kawagi Station Sakai".。At the beginning of the operation, the religion of one driver was required as a condition in which the security standards were allowed to drive on public roads as a condition that was allowed to run on public roads.Later, in March 2021, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, which has been in charge of security standards, is unnecessary for security personnel when it is determined that it is possible to ensure safety by monitoring vehicle devices and drivers.Boldly has agreed with relevant ministries and agencies to eliminate security personnel based on this clarification and past operation results.

The role of the driver is to respond to manual driving.When the touch panel in the car is operated, the vehicle starts running autonomously, but on the way there is a scene where the driver operates the controller (Photo 4).

（写真4）信号機のある交差点を通過する時など手動運転時には、運転手はこのコントローラーで車両を操作する。道路使用許可の手続き上、「特別装置自動車」に当たる（写真：茂木俊輔）[画像のクリックで拡大表示]

One specific example is when there are vehicles parked on the operation route, such as garbage collection trucks."There is a function to avoid obstacles, but we are currently responding with drivers to overtake obstacles while protruding into the oncoming lane," says Saji.Just because the maximum speed is set at a low speed of 20 km / h, the driver is devised to overtake obstacles after visually determining the situation of the oncoming vehicle, confirming the safety.

「信号協調へ、警察庁には早期の予算化を」