An autonomous automobile is being tested at Tokyo Haneda Airport to tow cargo containers in an effort to overcome a labor shortage as the number of visitors visiting Japan rises.
As stated in a release, joint creators All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Toyota Industries revealed that the vehicle at one of the busiest airports in the world can tow up to 13 tons of cargo.
It can transport up to six containers at once, trundling without a driver in the cab between airplanes and airport structures across a distance of about two kilometers (1.2 miles).
The vehicle is classified as Level 4, which means that while a human driver can still request control, in some situations it does not require human input. It has been in use since July 1.
The firms claimed that their goal is to have the vehicle fully operational by the end of next year. This trial, which is the first at a Japanese airport, is a part of government-backed initiatives to revolutionize the air transport industry.
Although Kansai Airport, which serves Osaka, is another Japanese airport that boasts of never having lost a luggage, the nation is facing significant obstacles in its efforts to quadruple tourism to 60 million visitors by 2030.
The population of the rapidly aging nation is the second oldest in the world, and many industries in the fourth-largest economy in the world are experiencing a labor shortage.
There have reportedly already been issues with aviation fuel supplies at the nation’s airports this year, leading the government to form a task team last month.
In other parts of Japan, autonomous vehicle trials have been conducted, and since last year, the government has permitted Level 4 self-driving cars to operate on public roads.
Although Kansai Airport, which serves Osaka, is another Japanese airport that boasts of never having lost a luggage, the nation is facing significant obstacles in its efforts to quadruple tourism to 60 million visitors by 2030.
The population of the rapidly aging nation is the second oldest in the world, and many industries in the fourth-largest economy in the world are experiencing a labor shortage.
There have reportedly already been issues with aviation fuel supplies at the nation’s airports this year, leading the government to form a task team last month.
In other parts of Japan, autonomous vehicle trials have been conducted, and since last year, the government has permitted Level 4 self-driving cars to operate on public roads.
