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The Japan News/Yomiuri
The Japan News/Yomiuri
Business
The Yomiuri Shimbun

5G-powered self-driving taxi being tested in Shinjuku, Tokyo

A self-driving taxi starts without a driver in Shinjuku, Tokyo. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

A Nagoya-based IT company developing autonomous driving technology and four other companies have begun demonstrating a self-driving taxi in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, on Thursday. The test is being conducted with the use of the 5G communication standard, which is capable of handling massive data throughput at ultra-fast speeds with near-zero latency -- a combination seen as a necessity in making self-driving vehicles with remote monitoring on public roads feasible.

In the experiment, a taxi, which was monitored from a distant building, drove on a public road in the Nishi-Shinjuku area without a driver. Tokyo Vice Gov. Manabu Miyasaka who was sitting in the backseat during the experiment, said, "There was no uncomfortable feeling in the ride and I felt secure."

Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/

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