Recently, various companies have been leveraging their expertise to devise solutions for urban development, including so-called smart cities. TIER IV, a pioneer in open-source autonomous driving (AD) technology, is one of these companies. We asked Shinpei Kato, founder, CEO and CTO of TIER IV, about how he aims to contribute to urban development with JR Tokai, which is launching their initiative to revitalize cities along its train lines.
First test ride on the Yamanashi Maglev test line in April 2022
Comment from Shinpei Kato
What urban development is TIER IV delving into?
With the construction of Kanagawa Prefecture Station [tentative name] for the maglev Chuo Shinkansen, JR Tokai announced on November 1, 2023, the start of an initiative to promote innovation with Kanagawa Prefecture and Sagamihara, a municipality in the Greater Tokyo area. Requested by JR Tokai, as a representative of TIER IV and the University of Tokyo, I’ll be promoting the innovation to bring benefits to urban areas along the maglev Chuo Shinkansen line. Sagamihara is an important place for us because AI Pilot, an autonomous driving system developed by TIER IV, obtained Level 4 certification on October 20, following trials at GLP ALFALINK Sagamihara. I believe we can bring significant benefits to the local community, residents, partners and our shareholders. I’m very excited to be involved.
Participating in a media workshop hosted by JR Tokai on November 1, 2023
What attracted you to this urban development initiative?
In recent years, the government and private sector have been working together, aiming to implement AD services in over 50 locations by 2025 and over 100 locations by 2027. We’re heading up the Project on Research, Development, Demonstration and Deployment (RDD&D) of Automated Driving toward the Level 4 and its Enhanced Mobility Services. I’d like to utlize the technology, experience, and know-how we have cultivated through the initiative for business development along the maglev Chuo Shinkansen line, and I hope to further accelerate the social implementation of autonomous driving. I’d also like to contribute to the creation of new value that lies ahead. From the perspective of urban development, autonomous driving is only a means to an end. We’re considering initiatives to improve mobility, new encounters, and new experiences through the use of automated driving.
How is TIER IV involved?
We intend to bring value to the urban areas along the rail line by implementing autonomous driving, which is our greatest strength. Since we’ll be working together with JR Tokai and local residents, it can be a very attractive project for us with a much wider range of opportunities to roll out autonomous driving. There are many other strengths that we have at TIER IV. The expansion of the startup ecosystem can be led by us, and we can also be a driving force for industry-academia collaboration as well as for mobility collaborations other than autonomous driving by attracting various universities and companies. I believe as a deep-tech company in autonomous driving, we’ll not only provide convenience in urban development, but also offer new encounters and new experiences through a new form of mobility created by autonomous driving. As our very first initiative, I’d like to create a good successful example by helping to enrich the lives of people in Kanagawa Prefecture and Sagamihara City in partnership with JR Tokai.
What is TIER IV’s vision for the city?
By providing safe and comfortable AD services, we aim to create a city where people can find value in new encounters and new experiences. It’s great if the city can attract people with facilities which are open and appealing, and increase the quality of their lives. There are many ideas for “tricks,” but since we’re involved, we definitely want to make technology the theme. We can build a city where people will naturally gather to experience the maglev train, autonomous driving and other various future technologies in the surrounding area. This is my dream and what I’d like to achieve.
In Hashimoto, the target area of urban development in Sagamihara, cutting-edge research conducted by universities will be presented in a way that is more accessible, approachable and fun for people of all ages. If human augmentation and biotechnology, not to mention artificial intelligence (AI), can be viewed as attractions, even pre-practical research can be of immediate value in the form of entertainment or hands-on classes.
If this idea is made to happen, we can show it as a successful example for the city, and attract more people. New technologies will likely be born, and the city will hopefully become an exciting place that will inspire children.
As urban population sizes increase, so does the need for mobility, and this is where TIER IV’s AD services come into play. Various needs will arise, and we want to deliver safe mobility solutions suited to each of them. Together with our ecosystem partners, it could be interesting to create an urban development solution that includes mobility, insurance, telecommunications, and payment. I can’t stop thinking about my dream on how we can support and promote the development of cities.
This initiative with JR Tokai will be a great opportunity for us to not only provide remarkable benefits to all stakeholders, but also to expand our business. We’ll contribute to building the city of the future by taking full advantage of our strength in autonomous driving.
Media Contact
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