Demonstration experiment of "automated driving / platooning BRT" started ... JR West and Softbank on a new dedicated test course

On September 27th, West Japan Railway Company (JR West Japan) and Softbank announced that they will conduct a demonstration experiment of BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) utilizing automated driving and platooning technology in October this year. announced that it will start on a dedicated test course set up in Yasu City, Shiga Prefecture.

Set up a dedicated demonstration test course on a site about 1.7 times the size of the Fukuoka PayPay Dome As part of this, we have been preparing for demonstration experiments such as setting up a dedicated test course, aiming for the practical application of automatic driving of articulated buses and platooning of autonomous driving bus vehicles for the first time in Japan. As a next-generation mobility service, it is planned to be implemented in society in the mid-2020s, and by that time, the plan is to establish the technology of "automated driving / platooning BRT" through demonstration experiments and to standardize the system package.

The dedicated test course for the demonstration experiment was set up in the Yasu branch office of the Aboshi general depot, Miyahara branch, which used to be the depot of JR West, located in Yasu City, Shiga Prefecture. The total area is about 22,800 square meters, which is about 1.7 times larger than the Fukuoka PayPay Dome. There is a course with a total length of about 1.1 km and a maximum straight line of about 600 m.In addition to the control center, stations and stops, parking lots, alternating traffic points, etc. are set up, and cross points with general roads such as railroad crossings are also provided. Installation. We will make full use of these to conduct verification from all angles.

Three types of vehicles are used for the demonstration experiment: an articulated bus, a large bus, and a small bus equipped with autonomous driving functions. do an experiment. Specifically, a "junction station" is prepared on the dedicated road that will be the main line, and buses coming from other than the dedicated road can form a line here. Conversely, at the "junction station", it is also possible for the bus to leave the platoon of automatic driving and enter the general road. The distance between vehicles is controlled at 10 to 20m during platooning and 1 to 3m when stopped. Up to 4 cars can run in platoons. Aiming for early commercialization, the demonstration test will aim for a running speed of 60km/h.

Utilizing the fact that it is a dedicated road, the maximum operating speed is aimed at 60 km / h

SoftBank's executive officer with corporate business management (in charge of wide area sales) and railway/public works at the press conference Shigehiro Shimizu, General Manager of the Promotion Headquarters, said about this matter, "I think that it is running at about 15 to 30 km / h in the world's demonstration experiment, but when assuming BRT as a backbone network, then it is not possible in terms of transportation capacity. 60km/h is just a goal, but we will continue to develop it, including obstacle detection and coordination with traffic lights."

In addition, Mr. Shimizu said, "Various methods are under consideration depending on the type of road. There are methods using GNSS such as GPS, guidance by white lines via cameras, Furthermore, a method using magnetic markers and gyro sensors is also conceivable.In this case, considering barrier-free, we will control the sense of 4 cm (± 2 cm) between the car body and the curb."

While providing safety, punctuality, and speed, it is possible to significantly reduce costs compared to railways

On the other hand, JR West has decided to use a dedicated road for the "automated driving / platooning BRT" service. The first attraction is the safety, punctuality, and speed of delivery. On top of that, we will secure flexible transportation capacity according to demand, realize an integrated and flat transportation network linked with other transportation modes, solve the driver shortage by realizing autonomous driving, and make it simpler than railways. The point that it is possible to realize low-cost mobility services created by such facilities will also be a great attraction.

Regarding this opinion, Shuji Kubota, Executive Director, Innovation Division, West Japan Railway Company, said, "BRT can be operated on asphalt pavement without laying tracks, and even if a large bus is introduced, it is much cheaper than railway. In addition, compared to maintenance and management, including maintenance and inspection of tracks, roads require less maintenance.Overall, we can expect significant cost reductions through the introduction of BRT." .

As a specific schedule, after starting the vehicle function test in October 2021, we will start a platooning test using three types of vehicles around the spring of 2022. In the summer of 2010, we will start testing the operational side of things such as proper arrival control to the boarding area and remote control of the vehicle, and aim to establish these technologies in 2023. However, at present, it is completely undecided where it will be deployed.

Mr. Kubota of JR West said, ``The other day, I took a test ride on the BRT on the Kesennuma Line and Ofunato Line of JR East, and we are considering replacing railways with BRT in the same way. Mass transportation is possible in large cities. Although the superiority of the railway is unshakable, we would like to explore cooperation with urban development in medium-sized cities (optimal for BRT) and make it a reality.”