Japan will launch high-end autonomous driving technology, allowing drivers to play games on their phones and watch videos in the car

According to the Japanese website Sankei Biz, the Japanese government has decided to upgrade the certification standard for autonomous driving functions on cars to " LV3 " starting this spring, which will bring autonomous driving technology, which used to only have safety assistance functions, into a new stage. Under certain conditions, the driving subject is no longer a person but a system, and the greatly improved convenience is highly anticipated, but higher safety has also become very important. In addition to opening up the "L3" level standard, Japan will also introduce experimental countermeasures one after another, taking the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics as an opportunity. This year will be a key node in the development and application of autonomous driving technology.

The revised Japanese Road Transport Vehicle Law will be implemented in April this year, making it possible to apply the L3 standard on roads. The biggest difference between L3 and L2 is that after the automatic driving system is started, the person sitting in the driver's seat can operate the mobile phone, watch videos and other activities.

Honda said it will make the L3 standard "practical" within the year, and it is very likely that the corresponding models will be put on the market. At a media event last summer, Honda explained the function of automatic driving at speeds of less than 50 km/h in highway congestion. The person in charge emphasized: "This function can significantly reduce the burden on drivers during long-distance driving."

Last year, Nissan and BMW launched similar functions in Japan. When driving on the highway, drivers can release the steering wheel to rest under certain conditions, but are prohibited from operating mobile phones. Therefore, the functions of these models only meet the L2 standard.

However, the L3 standard also has big problems. One of them is that the driver needs to switch between the system and the person according to the road conditions. When the application range of autonomous driving is exceeded, the person must take over the steering wheel from the system, and the danger of the handover will increase. In addition to reminding the driver through sound and vibration, the camera in the car should also monitor whether the driver is drowsy or not. The head of an automobile giant said: "In order to prevent humans from over-relying on the system, the autonomous driving function must be correctly introduced to the driver." There are still many problems for the general public to truly accept autonomous driving technology.

On the other hand, this year's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics have made the world focus on Japan, which will accelerate the implementation of future-oriented policies. The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association will conduct a demonstration test of autonomous driving in areas such as Haneda Airport in July, and 10 major automobile companies will participate. During the Olympics, Toyota Motor will launch an electric bus "e-Palette" with autonomous driving functions in the Olympic Village to facilitate the travel of athletes and related personnel.