(Construction) - The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan is studying the nationwide development of lanes dedicated for automated vehicles on expressways in anticipation of fully automated level-4 truck driving, and will conduct demonstration tests on the Shin-Tomei Expressway in FY2024 and on the Tohoku Expressway in FY25.
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| Japanese Ministry of Transport to test self-driving truck lanes on expressway (Illustration photo) |
If the feasibility is confirmed, more studies will be undertaken, including the installation of lanes on other expressways and the development of remote monitoring systems. The testing on the Shin-Tomei Expressway will include construction of lanes for automated vehicles during late-night hours between Suruga Bay Numazu SA and Hamamatsu SA. Traffic information will be provided to automated trucks through ITS spots and J-systems installed on the expressway. The system will check whether the trucks can merge onto the main line without coming into contact with other vehicles, and whether the trucks can accept other vehicles merging onto the main line. Based on information about construction restrictions and falling objects, the system also checks whether it is possible to take actions such as changing lanes.
Required features of lanes for automated vehicles include road markings and automatic detection of falling objects using AI cameras and other devices. The project will also consider 5G coverage for all sections of the road, as well as the development of parking areas for self-driving vehicles. (2023/08/22)
The Daily Engineering and Construction News of Japan
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