Latest report on Japan's autonomous driving development planning guidelines

Japan's "Autonomous Driving Business Seminar" "Autonomous Driving Business Seminar" was established in February 2015 by the Manufacturing Industries Bureau of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Automobile Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, with the participation of automobile manufacturers, suppliers and industry experts. Its purpose is to promote the commercialization of autonomous driving through cooperation between industry, academia and government.

The "Autonomous Driving Business Seminar" held its 12th meeting on March 8, 2021, and released the Version 5.0 Summary Plan Report entitled "Report and Policies on Measures to Realize and Popularize Automated Driving" on March 15, 2021. The report also introduced the work of the "Service Vehicle Coordination WG" and "Next Project WG" newly established in 2020.

1. Review of recent work achievements

The meeting reviewed the implementation of seminars and activities in 2020.

Review of 2020 work The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Automobile Bureau are committed to the last mile autonomous driving verification and highway truck platooning verification experiments. 2021 is the last year of each project, and efforts are being made to achieve the goals of limited area autonomous driving travel services and highway truck rear-car autonomous platooning technology within 2020 proposed in the previous growth strategy.

The results of the actual verification test project began on December 22, 2020, in Eiheiji Town, Fukui Prefecture, where a travel service test was started in the form of one operator remotely monitoring and operating three unmanned vehicles (Level 2).

On February 22, 2021, the unmanned platooning technology test of trucks was realized on a section of the Shin-Tomei Expressway.

However, even if these services and technologies are realized, they are only under limited technical, service and regional conditions, and further efforts are needed towards true autonomous driving services.

2. The “Second Phase Project WG” Working Group proposed topics for 2021-2025

The seminar set up two new working groups in 2020: "Service Vehicle Coordination WG" and "Next-phase Project WG". The "Next-phase Project WG" working group summarized the "Next-phase Project Worksheet" for the implementation of driverless services for the society and proposed four topics that should be addressed in the five-year period from 2021 to 2025.

Table of projects for the next phase (Source: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) Theme 1: Measures to achieve autonomous driving services only through remote monitoring (Level 4).

The goal is to achieve autonomous driving services that rely solely on remote monitoring (Level 4) in limited areas and vehicle conditions by 2022.

Topic 1: Measures to realize autonomous driving services only through remote monitoring (Level 4)

Theme 2: Measures to improve commerciality while further expanding the target areas and vehicles. The goal is to achieve unmanned autonomous driving services (Level 4) in various areas and with various vehicles at 40 locations by 2025. At the same time, a business model, infrastructure, and system that can implement diverse services will be built.

Theme 2: Measures to improve commerciality while further expanding the target areas and vehicles

Theme 3: Measures for the practical application of high-performance trucks, including platooning on highways. The goal is to achieve L4 autonomous driving trucks on highways and platooning using this technology after 2025. In addition to realizing vehicle technology, the business environment such as the operation management system, necessary infrastructure, and information required for business operations will also be prepared.

Theme 3: Measures toward the practical application of high-performance trucks, including platooning on highways

Theme 4: Measures to promote infrastructure coordination, vehicle-to-vehicle coordination, and vehicle-to-pedestrian coordination in mixed traffic conditions.

The goal is to promote Level 4 autonomous driving services in mixed traffic conditions in various regions through a coordinated system by 2025.

Topic 4: Infrastructure coordination, vehicle-to-vehicle coordination, and vehicle-to-pedestrian coordination for L4 applications under mixed traffic conditions

3. Future transportation vision

The report shows Japan's future vision for cities and transportation systems to realize and popularize driverless services.

Future vision of cities and transportation systems with driverless services ① Multiple driverless low-speed vehicles can be operated through remote monitoring. ② Level 4 BRT and on-demand service buses in various areas of local cities. ③ Level 4 truck operation on highways from city to city. ④ Autonomous driving services in large cities with mixed conditions of people and vehicles.

L4 truck operation on highways is aimed at highway trunk logistics. L4 trucks select areas and time periods to operate according to the congestion and restrictions of the highway. When multiple trucks are driving, they communicate between vehicles, and the system determines the formation and release of the platoon. At the logistics center adjacent to the highway, the goods are transferred to general trucks.

4. Future coordination issues

In order to maintain and strengthen its international competitiveness in the field of autonomous driving, Japan will continue to promote the areas of coordination so far, and based on new trends, will deepen and expand the areas of coordination while paying attention to the distinction between competition and coordination. As topics for future coordination areas, the following points will be considered in the next project study, and more extensive and comprehensive activities will be adopted.

1) Typing of ODD It is inefficient to develop vehicles and evaluate safety based on the ODD of individual regions. By typing ODD and modularizing sensor composition and risk assessment methods accordingly, we will explore solutions for smooth promotion in other regions.

2) Considering human-involved methods such as remote monitoring It is not the most efficient approach to rely on the system to respond to all emergencies, including passenger illness, disasters, accidents, etc. In this case, human-involved methods such as remote monitoring and coordination between systems such as HMI and people should be considered.

3) Sharing of responsibilities among relevant personnel in L4 services. No driving operation is required in L4 services. On the other hand, the obligations and functions previously undertaken by the driver, from operation to maintenance management and maintenance inspection, may need to be undertaken by multiple relevant personnel. In this case, it is necessary to consider the sharing of responsibilities among relevant personnel.

4) Generalization/standardization of sensors, data formats, etc. Under the condition that the market for L4 services is limited, in order to reduce costs and promote seamless services, discussions are being held on the implementation of generalization and standardization of sensor data formats, etc. for ADAS-oriented technologies and other transportation means and infrastructure.

5) Mechanism of infrastructure cooperation To expand L4 services to traffic environments where ordinary vehicles and pedestrians coexist, the effect of relying solely on vehicles is limited. Support from sensors on the infrastructure side and preparation of infrastructure corresponding to L4 should be considered, but it is necessary to discuss the way of infrastructure cooperation, including maintenance management and profit model. According to the plan, the full report of "Report and Guidelines for the Realization and Popularization of Automated Driving" Version 5.0 will be released in March-April