ASCII.jp Experience the demonstration experiment of Nissan and DoCoMo! The dream of self-driving taxis is "almost" a reality

A big step forward in the future of autonomous driving!? Nissan and DoCoMo's ride-hailing service

Nissan and DoCoMo jointly use autonomous driving vehicles in the Yokohama Minato Mirai and Chinatown areas A demonstration test of the demand dispatch service is scheduled to be conducted from September 21, 2021 to the end of October. This service is a combination of Nissan's self-driving transportation service "Easy Ride" and DOCOMO's on-demand transportation system "AI Bus". The "AI bus" system makes reservations, dispatches, and routes for services, and the "Easy Ride" self-driving vehicles carry users accordingly. This time, I was able to experience the service before conducting the demonstration experiment. I would like to report on the situation.

The meeting place for the experience interview and the starting point of the service was the car park in front of Nissan's global headquarters in Yokohama. Here, access the web application / site of "AI Bus" from your smartphone, enter the start point and goal point, desired time of use, number of passengers, and call the car. Users can freely choose the start and finish points from 23 boarding and alighting points set in the Yokohama Minato Mirai/Chinatown area. Nissan is conducting a similar demonstration experiment in 2019, but at that time there were 15 boarding and alighting points. This year, we have added eight locations. By the way, there are more than 650 routes connecting 23 getting on and off points, but the system of "AI Bus" can derive them in an instant.

Docomo's system "AI Bus" is used for reservation, dispatch, and route selection. Access and use web pages instead of apps

When boarding an autonomous vehicle, enter the vehicle door code on the "AI Bus" page. Then the door will automatically open and close

This time, I requested "World Porters Kishamichi side" in Minato Mirai from "Nissan Global Headquarters" with "present" and "one adult". Then, a car will come to pick you up in 5 minutes and you can arrive at your destination in about 10 minutes.

After a short wait, we have a self-driving car, a modified EV version of the Nissan NV200 Vanette. Looking at it, the cameras are lined up on the windshield, and there are sensor-like dents in the front and rear bumpers. According to Nissan's explanation, it is equipped with 14 cameras, 3 radars, 6 laser scanners (so-called lidar), GPS/GNSS, and gyro. In addition, the computer system of this year's vehicle is not a general-purpose personal computer, but an embedded ECU, and it seems that the power consumption is greatly reduced. Looking into the interior, the passenger seat is covered with black resin, and the equipment related to automatic driving is stored there. It seems that the vehicle has evolved significantly since the demonstration test in 2019.

In the demonstration experiment by Nissan and DoCoMo, 23 boarding and disembarking points, including the Nissan Global Headquarters, are set in the Yokohama Minato Mirai / Chinatown area.

Guidance on how to use the car is provided by the monitor and voice in the car. The in-vehicle monitor displays the route, car, driver status, etc.

When an autonomous vehicle arrives at the boarding and alighting point, the user uses a smartphone to enter the PIN code printed on the vehicle. This notifies the system that the user has made a reservation, and is a function added to the "AI Bus" for this demonstration experiment. Originally, "AI bus" was used for buses and taxis with human drivers, and this is the first time that it is used for an automatic driving system that does not involve human intervention. It is said that it was a measure for that purpose.

When you enter the PIN code into your smartphone, the door of the self-driving vehicle automatically opens according to instructions from the cloud. A human driver sits in the driver's seat in the car, but it is only a safety guard. What's interesting is that they don't talk to customers at all. It doesn't even explain how to use it. This is because it simulates a completely unmanned automatic driving service. Therefore, explanations for users are provided by video and audio on a large monitor installed inside the vehicle. The monitor displays the movement and route of the running vehicle, as well as the state of the driver who does not operate the steering wheel. In addition, coupons that can be used at nearby shops were also displayed on a part of the screen. This is one of the functions of the "AI Bus" system, which also aims to revitalize the areas where it is used.

By the way, in the previous demonstration experiment (2019), in addition to the driver who supervised the operation for safety, there was also a person on board for guidance. The absence of the guide is also an evolutionary point of this demonstration experiment.

Start driving without a driver

After getting into the car and wearing the seat belt, press the "GO" button on the indoor pillar next to the seat. With that signal, the car starts running. In this demonstration experiment, only one autonomous vehicle runs. This is also the evolution of this demonstration experiment. Last time, there was an escort car to ensure safety.

Although there are people in the driver's seat for safety, all the driving operations were done by the system.

If you go straight through the intersection immediately after exiting, there is always a lot of on-street parking even though there are two lanes on each side. Several cars and trucks were parked on this day as well. The self-driving vehicle was running in the center lane of the two lanes, but a car that avoided parking on the street suddenly cut in front of me from the left. However, the self-driving vehicle adjusts its speed to successfully get the cut-in vehicle in front. Like a veteran human driver. Dealing with on-street parking is one of the biggest challenges for some self-driving vehicles. It seems that the latest Nissan self-driving vehicle has successfully cleared this.

A major obstacle to automated driving is the existence of on-street parking. This time, I was smoothly handling lane changes and other vehicles' interruptions.

Next, turn right at the intersection with the pedestrian crossing. This time, there were no pedestrians in the crosswalk when the turn was made, but the vehicle had stopped. In addition, the monitor in the car displayed not only the surrounding vehicles but also pedestrians on the sidewalk. It seems to be monitoring the surroundings from several dozen meters ahead. Even at a large intersection with poor visibility, it seems to be able to recognize a straight car coming from afar, and the timing of the right turn is not dangerous.

And after driving for about 5 minutes, we arrived at our destination. Park your vehicle on the sidewalk. When you get out of the car, the doors will automatically close after a few minutes. Everything from booking to getting on and off was unattended.

Very close to Autonomous Driving Level 4

When I actually experienced the service, I thought, "Isn't this almost the same as a level 4 autonomous driving robot taxi?" matter. A person who plays the role of the driver sits for safety, but does not actually operate the car. What's more, it's not on a car-only road, but on a general road with pedestrians and bicycles. I ran there at about 50km/h like other cars. And everything is unmanned, from booking to boarding and alighting. In terms of content, it is the same as the dreamed “self-driving taxi”.

Arriving at the destination, dropping off the passenger, and then restarting. There was a grace period of several minutes until the door automatically closed

Cameras lined up above the windshield of an autonomous vehicle. Equip all vehicles with 14 cameras

Nowadays, self-driving service demonstration experiments are not uncommon, but I think the content level is very advanced. The handling of on-street parking and the handling of pedestrians at pedestrian crossings was also smooth. Three or four years ago, it would have made headlines. Nissan should be praised for its efforts in steadily advancing development.

[Summary] Steady progress toward the goal

However, this does not mean that automated driving is complete. The stage of this demonstration experiment was a relatively large street with a solid center line. It is not a narrow alley without a center line in the countryside. Also, this time it was successful, but it is still unknown whether accidents will occur in longer and long-term operation. For this reason, it is truly unsettling that mass production and practical application will start next year based on the success of this demonstration experiment. Also, more than 20 sensors are too many, and it will be necessary to reduce the number of sensors and further reduce costs. In addition, there is no usage fee in this demonstration experiment, and the method of payment for future users has not been decided. This also requires the construction of an easy-to-use payment system. In addition, it will be essential to develop a social consensus, laws, and insurance regarding accidents caused by automated driving.

The passenger seat of the self-driving car is covered with a black resin cover, and the self-driving equipment is stored in it.

The base vehicle for autonomous driving is the EV version of the Nissan NV200 Vanette. 3 seats are installed for users

I could see the self-driving service. There is still a long way to go before it becomes practical. However, it is extremely difficult to prove safety and security that everyone can agree on. Closing the last few miles will be difficult. But if you keep moving forward step by step, you will definitely reach your goal someday. I would like to send ale to Nissan's further efforts in the future.

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