4

A Society with Automated Driving(1) Automated Driving Mobility Services in Regional Communities

Automated Driving
Transportation Services in Rural
Areas (Overview)
Yoshiyuki Kato (Highway Industry Development Organization)

Social Issues in Rural Areas and the Significanceof Automated Driving Transportation Services

1

Japan's population is declining and aging, and rural areasin particular are facing financial pressures and a lack ofskilled personnel. Public transportation services have been
particularly hit hard by these social conditions. The numberof people transported by bus services has been on a significant
downward trend across the board, with particularly severe
declines in rural areas. (Fig.1)(1) This trend is expected tocontinue in the future, making it difficult to maintain public
transportation services. Therefore, in rural areas, especiallyin rural areas, where people are increasingly dependent on
automobiles, these services may not be able to adequately
meet the mobility demands of the elderly after they relinquish
their driver's licenses.
105 Population (outside the three largest metropolitan areas) Number of passengers (three major metropolitan areas)

80

83 83
79

Rural areas

75 down about

78

87

76

23

22

H

21

20

H

19

H

18

H

17

H

16

H

15

H

14

H

13

H

12

H

96

96

89 89

95 94
90 91

Number of passengers
86 86
transported (nationwide)
Number of passengers (outside thethree major metropolitan areas)

25%

70

H

87

94

76 77

87

76 77

76

75

74

30

84 83

86

87

94

29

89 90

96

101

H

89

88

97

100

28

85

90

92 92

98

H

89

92

27

91

91

92

97

H

90

93

93

26

94

94

92

H

93

97 97

25

96

98

H

97 95
95

95

98 98

24

99 99

H

100 99H

100 100
100 100

H

100

Fig.1: Number of people transported by bus (with the year 2000 as 100)(1)

In the future, it is desirable to build a society in whichpeople who want to travel can travel to their destinations
when they want to and by the means of transportation theywant to use. Particularly in rural areas, it is also desirable tocreate a society in which people can travel stress-free without
relying on private vehicles. Automated driving transportation
services are expected to have a significant effect toward therealization of such a society.

2

Results and Challenges Obtained from the FOTs
(Field Operational Tests) in Rural Areas

2.1. Outline of the FOTs in Rural Areas
In order to respond to the challenges of an aging
population in rural areas and nationwide, a project called"FOTs of Automated Transportation Services Based on
Michi-no-Eki in Rural Areas" has been conducted since
September 2017, with the aim of introducing automatedtransportation services using automated driving technology
and ensuring the flow of people and things in rural areas. As
of July 2022, automated vehicles have been driven on publicroads at 18 locations throughout Japan as part of the FOTs.
Based on the results of FOTs with regard to the technicalaspects and business models, in November 2019, Michi-noEki "Kamikoani" (Akita Prefecture) became the first roadsidestation in Japan to provide a regular automated driving
transportation services to users under a system operated by
the local government and other local entities, and has
achieved safe operations to date.
In addition, automated driving transportation services wereintroduced in earnest at Michi-no-Eki "Okueigenji Keiryu no
Sato" (Shiga Prefecture) in April 2021, at the Miyama City Hall
Yamakawa Branch Office (Fukuoka Prefecture) in July of thesame year, and at Michi-no-Eki "Akagi Kogen" (Shimane
Prefecture) in October of the same year. (Fig.2)
2.2. Activities in each test field
For the FOTs of automated driving transportation services
based at Michi-no-Eki roadside stations, short-term FOTs

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Automated Driving Transportation Services in Rural Areas (Overview)[Social implementation] Started November 30, 2019

(Short-term FOTs)
18 locations

Kamikoani-mura, Kita Akita-gun, Akita-ken(Michi-no-Eki "Kamikoani"):

9 locations

Implementation period: December 9, 2018 - February 8, 2019
Vehicle used: Yamaha:

4 locations

frm FY2017-FY2018 :(*Including long-term FOTs and social implementation locations)(Long-term FOTs)

from FY2018(Social implementation)(*Including social implementation locations)from FY2019[Social implementation] Started October 4, 2021

Nishikatamachi, Tochigi-shi, Tochigi-ken(Michi-no-Eki "Nishikata")

Nagaoka-shi, Nagaoka-ken(Orataru Yamakoshi Restoration Exchange Center)

Hitachiota-shi, Ibaraki-ken(Michi-no-Eki "Hitachiota" andTakakura Community Center)

Nanto-shi, Toyama-ken(Michi-no-Eki "Taira")
Implementation period: September 1- October 10, 2020
Vehicle used: Yamaha

Gujo-shi, Gifu-ken(Michi-no-Eki "Meiho")

Implementation period: June 23 - July 21, 2019
Vehicle used: YamahaIna-shi, Nagano-ken(Michi-no-Eki "Southern Alps Mura Hase")

Ube-shi, Yamaguchi-ken(Kusu Komorebi no Sato)[Social implementation] Started July 19, 2021

Implementation period: November 5 - November 29, 2019
Vehicle used: Advanced Smart Mobility

Miyama-shi, Fukuoka-ken(Miyama City Hall Yamakawa Branch)
Implementation period: November 2 - December 21, 2018
Vehicle used: Yamaha

Implementation period: May 21 - June 21, 2019
Vehicle used: Advanced Smart Mobility

Takahatamachi, Higashiokitama-gun, Yamagata-ken(Michi-no-Eki "Takahata")
Implementation period: October 11 - November 12, 2021
Vehicle used: Yamaha

Niimi-shi, Okayama-ken(Michi-no-Eki "Koigakubo")

Taiki-cho, Hiroo-gun, Hokkaido(Michi-no-Eki "Cosmall Taiki")

Toyota-shi, Aichi-ken(Michi-no-Eki "Donguri no Sato Inabu")
Miyoshi-shi, Tokushima-ken(Michi-no-Eki "Nishiiya Kazurabashi Yumebutai")

Ashikitamachi, Ashikita-gun, Kumamo-ken(Michi-no-Eki "Ashikita Dekopon")[Social implementation] Started April 23, 2021

Otsu-shi, Shiga-ken(Michi-no-Eki "Imoko no Sato")

Tatehata-cho, Higashiomi-shi, Shiga-ken(Michi-no-Eki "Okueigenji Keiryu no Sato")
Implementation period: November 15- December 20, 2019
Vehicle used: Yamaha

Implementation period: January 27- March 15, 2019
Vehicle used: Yamaha

Fig.2: FOTs areas for automated driving transportation services based at such locations as Michi-no-Eki (roadside stations)〇 Tourism
Attracting tourists incooperation with
tourism DMO*, andresponding toinspection tours〇 Logistics
Utilized fortransportation toMichi-no-Eki roadsidestations (transportationof shipments)〇 Welfare
Cooperation with a
medical clinic attached
to a Michi-no-Eki(In front of the clinic in theroadside station
Michi-no-Eki roadside station)〇 Transportation ofelementary school students
Educational program for elementary
school students. Implementation of
measures to improve the acceptanceamong elementary school students*DMO: Destination Management/Marketing Organization

Fig.3: Future plans for multi-purpose use of automated driving transportation services□Christmas Illumination (Kamikoani).
The illumination (LED) is set up along the automated driving course and surrounding facilities.
Events are being planned, studied, and tried for people to enjoy facilities even in winter.

□Delivery lectures for the elderly (Miyama).
With the purpose of improving public
acceptance of automated driving services,
we gave lectures to the elderly, and also
explained how to use smartphones.

□Cooperation with facilities along the route, information
disseminated with social media (Okueigenji).
Proposal of a model course that ties up facilities along the route (fish farms, cafes)
and automated driving services. Disseminate information via social media, etc.

□Publicity by streamers, publication of Kawaraban, regional version of Jidoroku (Akagi Plateau).

Publicity by streamers designed by the Michi-no-Eki roadside station chief,
information dissemination in cooperation with tourist associations and roadsidestations, creation of Jidoroku with the original design of the roadside station chief.

Fig.4: Efforts by the regions to improve acceptance of automated driving transportation services

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4 A Society with Automated Driving(1) Automated Driving Mobility Services in Regional Communities
Automated Driving Transportation Services in Rural Areas (Overview)

lasting approximately one week were conducted at 18 locations
nationwide to verify the following five items: (1) roads andtraffic, (2) local environment, (3) cost, (4) public acceptance,and (5) regional effects. In addition, with the aim of socially
implementing automated driving transportation services, we
conducted long-term FOTs of approximately one month atnine locations nationwide to verify the technical aspects(securing of driving space, driving management system) andbusiness model aspects (business implementation system,
collaboration with other businesses for multipurpose use,business profitability, etc.). Based on the results of the FOTs,
social implementation has been carried out where the various
aspects have been proven ready.
In the four regions where the system has been socially
implemented, efforts are being made to implement multipurpose use (Fig.3) for the purpose of improving business
continuity and to implement automated driving transportation
services (Fig.4) for the purpose of improving public acceptance.
In addition, studies are being conducted to contribute to theapplication to other areas throughout the country.
During the short-term FOTs, types of automated vehicles
other than the cart type were also used, but because of their highcost burden and the difficulty of driving them in narrow sections,in areas where the system was socially implemented, cart type(electromagnetic induction line type) vehicles were used.
2.3. Results and Issues from the FOTs
In areas where the system was socially implemented, stable
operations of automated driving transportation services over along period of time were confirmed. In addition, byimplementing the services as public transportation services
within the framework of private paid passenger transportation,
it was confirmed that even automated vehicles can provide
sustainable services within community-run operation systems
centered on the local governments.

At the same time, as shown in Table 1, in order to continue
providing public transportation services using automatedvehicles after the completion of this project, it is necessary to
examine business continuity, respond to system problems
and accidents, and build facilities that need to be handed
over to the local communities, and to otherwise ensure thatthe services are reliably handed over to the operators in areas
where social implementation is to take place. Because
automated vehicle transportation services are operated
throughout the year in the socially implemented areas, there
were cases where automated driving became difficult,especially during the winter season, and this became an issue
for the continuous provision of the services. (Fig.5)
Sensor collides with frozen snow on theroad surface. Sensor is disconnected
and automated driving is disabledElectromagnetic induction line broken
due to snow removal work, etc.
Automated driving services suspended▲ State of disconnection of electromagnetic induction line (Kamikoani)
Section where
snowplows cannot enter

Narrow section (between Yuzurihao entrance and Yuzurihao)

No snow removal system
has been established.

In front of garage (before snow removal)▲ Snow coverage on the automated driving route (Okueigenji)

Side of vehicle incontact withdeposited snow
▲ Snow coverage on the automated driving route (Akagi Plateau)

Fig.5: Challenges in winter driving

Table 1: Things that need to be passed on to the operating entity in the social
implementation area
NumberItems for study

State of progressFuture issues
Exploration of the possibility offurther multitasking
Study of measures to increase thenumber of users
Evaluation of ripple effects on the local
economy(1)

andStudy of multitasking Examinationofand business continuity implementation
initiatives
forof automated driving
multitaskingineach
servicesregion(2)Ordering of the items
that must be addressed
when operating
automated driving
services.

(3)

Clarify the responsein the event of a
How to respond when flow
assuming thea problem occurs in an failure,
caseof
a malfunction
automated vehicleof the automatedvehicleCoordinate with automated vehicle
manufacturers and local specialist
companies on how to respondConsideration and establishment of amaintenance system
The results of repairs and such arereflected in the vehicle operation
manual(4)

Assuming that an
Methods of responding accident has occurred,to accidents that occur the parties involved
during operation ofand the boundary
automated driving
points of responsibility
servicesfor automated driving
services are clarified

Verify the appropriateness of the
response flow by interviewing experts,
insurance companies, etc.
Clarify how to respond when an
accident occurs and reflect it in thevehicle operation manual(5)

Clarify facilities, etc.
that need to be handed
over to the community
for the operation of
automated driving
services.

Create manuals forautomated driving
services (vehicle
operation manuals) tobe referred to byservice providers andspecialized companies

Conduct workshops for local operating
entities and specialized companies
Updated based on opinions ofoperators

Creation of roadledgers (listing ofSurveying is carried out in each area
locations of
a ledger is prepared showing theinfrastructure facilities) andlocations of the automated driving
Clarify goods andsupportfacilities
facilities currently inuse.

3

Future Efforts to Expand Social Implementationof Automated Driving Transportation Services

Many local governments and private companies that areconsidering the introduction of automated driving
transportation services are interested in such services, butlack the know-how to proceed with such projects. We believethat we can support local governments and private businesses
that are considering the introduction of automated driving
transportation services by making use of the knowledge wehave accumulated through our FOTs to date. To this end, we
have established "Jidosapo" a contact point for inquiries
aimed at municipalities and private businesses that areconsidering the introduction of automated driving
transportation services. (Fig.6) Jidosapo portal site provides
an implementation manual for automated driving
transportation services and information on business flow,
etc. on the Web.
So far, Jidosapo has received inquiries from several local
governments and private companies about automateddriving transportation services, and in some cases, meetings

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4 A Society with Automated Driving(1) Automated Driving Mobility Services in Regional Communities
Automated Driving Transportation Services in Rural Areas (Overview)[Contents]

Highway Industry Development Organization, ITS and New Road Creation
Division, Plaza Edogawabashi Bldg. 2F, 1-23-6 Sekiguchi, Bunkyo-ku,
Tokyo, 03-5843-2917, Yoshiyuki Kato

Fig.6: Inquiries for automated driving transportation services (2)have been held to exchange opinions. In order to expand
social implementation of automated driving transportation
services, we at Jido Support plan to continue receiving
inquiries and updating the contents of the Jidosapo website.
This includes updating the implementation manual andinformation on available subsidy programs.

4

Conclusion

In order to address the challenges of an aging of society
nationwide, including in rural areas, a study titled "Field
Operational Tests of Automated Driving Transportation
Services Based on Michi-no-Eki and Other Facilities in Rural
Areas" was conducted from September 2017. Short-term
FOTs were conducted at 18 sites nationwide, while long-term
tests were conducted at nine sites. Based on the results ofthese FOTs, automated driving transportation services weresocially implemented in four areas nationwide.
In the socially implemented areas, it was confirmed that
it is possible to sustain the operation of the automated driving
transportation services within the operational system of thelocal government and other such local entities. On the other
hand, it became clear that there are things that need to behanded over to the operating entities in order to continue
providing the service after the project is complete. It isnecessary to ensure that the things required for service
provision are handed over to the local operators during theremaining period of the project.
To utilize the knowledge we have accumulated to date, apoint of contact for inquiries regarding automated driving
transportation services has been established. This contact
point will continue to be used to implement theimplementation of automated driving transportation services
in society.

[References]
(1)

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism: FY2021(2)

Highway Industry Development Organization: "Jido Support," a portal

White Paper on Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, 2021.6
site for inquiries on automated driving services
https://www.hido.or.jp/jidosapo/, (2022.9)

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4

A Society with Automated Driving(1) Automated Driving Mobility Services in Regional Communities

1) Establishing the Environment for the
Deployment of Transportation Services
Relying on Automated Driving
Yoshiyuki Kato (Highway Industry Development Organization)(Abstract) This project aims for social implementation of automated driving services, which have been started in limited areas,in multiple areas throughout Japan for the purpose of permanent implementation of automated driving mobility services, by
examining the sustainability of the project, updating the manual on automated driving mobility services as needed, andcontributing to the expansion of examples of social implementation of mobility services with automated driving. First, we willaddress issues related to social implementation, such as securing road space and operation management, in rural areas where
there is little other traffic, as areas where automated driving mobility services can be introduced on prefectural and municipal
roads at the current technological level. Four areas that have been socially implemented and one experimental area where along-term field operational tests (FOTs) was conducted were selected as the target areas for verification. These target areas willsequentially begin offering automated driving mobility services from November 2019, and are implementing measures such as
collaboration with other businesses and improving the acceptance of local residents that will contribute to the sustainability ofthe business. This paper outlines the purpose of introducing automated driving mobility services, the areas selected for studies
for practical application, the vehicles to be used, the definition of requirements for social implementation, and the initiatives
being taken in each of the social implementation sites and long-term FOTs sites.
Keywords: public transportation, mobility services, social implementation, selected for studies

1

Purpose of introducing automateddriving mobility services

The objective of this project is to implement automateddriving mobility services, started in limited regions, in
multiple regions throughout Japan in view of its permanent
implementation. In addition, the sustainability of the projectwill be studied by solving local social issues in social
implementation and by horizontally developing measures tosecure driving space, which was considered a common issueduring the FOTs. Furthermore, we will update the manuals
on automated driving mobility services that we havedeveloped, and contribute to the expansion of examples ofpractical applications of mobility services with automateddriving, which is our ultimate goal.
For the social implementation of mobility services with
automated driving, we will first consider rural areas withminimal other traffic as areas where such services can be
introduced on prefectural and municipal roads at the current
technological level, with the aim of commercializing mobility
services with automated driving and logistics services, andsolve problems in social implementation such as securing
road space and operation management. In addition,
guidelines for the introduction of automated driving services
in rural areas and standards for road space for automatedvehicles will be developed for horizontal deployment
throughout Japan. To this end, in cooperation with local
governments and related businesses, the project will conduct

verification and the necessary studies and research toestablish a business model that will enable the continuous
operation of mobility services with automated driving.

2

Definition of target areas for practicalapplication, vehicles to be used, andrequirements for social implementation

2.1. Areas selected for the tests
In this study, four sites for social implementation using
electromagnetic guide wires and one site from the long-term
FOTs sites as an example of a magnetic marker were selected
for study from among the sites with FOTs conducted in
FY2017 and later, based on the selection policy described
below. (Fig.1, Table 1)[Social implementation]• In implementing this project, a highly feasible business plancan be developed to create a sustainable business model.
• In the region, there are entities that are expected to be thefuture providers of mobility services and can form apartnership as one of the central implementers of this project.
• Even with the current level of automated driving technology,
the driving environment is one in which social implementationof automated driving mobility services is considered possible.
We can work with local governments and other•
organizations to implement this project.

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4.A Society with Automated Driving(1) Automated Driving Mobility Services in Regional Communities
1) Establishing the Environment for the Deployment of Transportation Services Relying on Automated Driving

Kamikoani-mura,
Kita Akita-gun, Akita-ken(Michi-no-Eki "Kamikoani")
Implementation start date: Started November 30, 2019
Vehicle used: cart type

Iinan-cho, Iishi-gun, Shimane-ken(Michi-no-Eki "Akagi Kogen")

Implementation period: Started October 4, 2021
Vehicle used: cart type

Takahata-cho, Yamagata-ken(around Takahata Town Hall)
Period: October 11 - November 12, 2021
Vehicle used: Cart type (magnetic marker)

Miyama-shi, Fukuoka-ken(Michi-no-Eki "Miyama")
Implementation period: Started July 19, 2021
Vehicle used: Cart type

Higashiomi-shi, Shiga-ken(Michi-no-Eki "Okueigenji Keiryu no Sato")
Implementation period: Started April 23, 2021
Vehicle used: Cart type

: Long-term FOTs sites: Verification of social
implementation (including planned)

Fig.1: Locations where FOTs were conducted
Table 1: Status of implementation of FOT locations
Features of long-term experiments/social
Operating
implementation tests
entity・Development of organizational structures with・K
 amikoani
management by local NPOs, Michi-no-Eki
Mobility(roadside stations), and local companies(1) Kamikoani ・Support for procedures for transfer of infrastructure
Service
Association
facilities to municipalities, etc.
(NPO)・Securing users by providing services in each of thefour seasons・Study of modes of operation that meet the needs of
local residents, tourists, cargo transport, etc.
(2) Okueigenji
・Establishment of a management structure that
・Higashiomi
Keiryu no
involves various stakeholders within the community
City
Sato
・Study of measures to improve profitability throughappropriate operational settings
・Building a sustainable management structure withexisting organizations and local volunteers
・Securing of stable income and consideration of(3) A kagi Kogen
・Iinan Town
services that are easy for residents to use
・Verification of service models to meet diverse
mobility demands
・Transportation service to and from service locations
and a service to meet and greet senior citizens
・Home delivery service to assist people with shopping(4) Miyama
difficulties and shopping behavior under COVID-19 ・Miyama City
pandemic・Study of an energy management system utilizing
power generation at a biomass center
・Securing means of transportation to support daily o・Noutings for the elderly
verification of・Development of mobility services linked to existingthe(5) Takahatatransportation that promote tourism and theoperational
economystructure will・Building mechanisms for mobility and service
be conducted.
linkages to promote local industry and economy
Test site[Long-term FOTs]• The project should introduce new technologies that willlead to the solution of social implementation issues
according to the region.
•
Although not a prerequisite, there are places where
automated driving FOTs have been conducted in the pastand data from these tests can be utilized.

Fig.2 Vehicles used

2.2. Vehicles used
In this project, we used a cart-type vehicle that travels
along a predetermined route (equivalent to Level 2 automateddriving) by sensing the magnetic force from electromagnetic
guide wires buried in the road surface. (Fig.2) In addition, atthe long-term FOTs site (Michi-no-Eki "Takahata"), a vehicle
that uses a magnetic marker to identify its own location wasused instead of the electromagnetic guide wire method toevaluate the feasibility of driving.
In conducting the FOTs, we are making necessary
improvements in cooperation with the vehicle manufacturer,
such as measures for user comfort, including measures toprevent cold and heat stroke, and the addition of functions
that contribute to management and operation.
2.3. Definition of requirements for social implementation
In order to contribute to the resolution of issues and theidentification of measures for the practical and permanent
introduction of automated driving mobility services, we are
studying the requirements that should be defined for the
FOTs environment. Specifically, the items required for the
introduction of mobility services with automated driving inrural areas are categorized into "items required for permanent
installation" and "items related to securing driving space for
automated vehicles." In addition, in order to comprehensively
verify the categorized issues, we have clarified the issues to beverified in FOTs in each region. The results of defining therequirements for social implementation are shown in Tables
2 and 3.

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1) Establishing the Environment for the Deployment of Transportation Services Relying on Automated Driving

Table 2: Items required in permanent automated driving mobility services
Verification items

Table 3 Items related to securing driving space for automated vehicles

Specific verification details

Verification items

1. Improve the overall environment for public transportation in
the village by reviewing its secondary transportation system(1) E stablish routes,
2. Transit support based on shared roles with key transit systems
diagrams, transit(community bus)
methods, etc. based on
3. Consider adding shortcut routes to improve convenience andthe needs of users, suchusage promotion
as cooperation with
4. Mobility services linked to community buses, mobility support
public transportationin disaster areas
and other vehicles.
5. Coordination with existing JR and other means oftransportation, dispersion of demand for existing transportation(2) D iversified fee
collection methods

1. Verification of the possibility of diversifying revenues such as
publicity income by setting up a monthly or child fee, small
volume freight transportation, etc.
2. Increase revenues through setting appropriate freight rates andrevenues from freight transportation, etc.
3. Investigate introduction of cashless services and linkage withlocal currencies(3) E xamine and verify thestable operation of amanagement system• Simplify reservation and operation methods and establish an
and a system for
operation manual in cooperation with the architecture projectmonitoring operation
status and making
reservations, etc.
1. Investigation of an operation plan with future operators, and theuse of the system for self-paid use, etc.
2. Reduce operating costs with service every other day, taking into
account the season, etc., and by using a reservation system, etc.
(4) S tudies of sustainable
3. Operate about 4 days a week, focusing on holidays whenbusiness feasibility
tourism demand is expected to be high
4. Add shortcut routes to promote convenience and usage
5. Home delivery service to residents along the route(5) C ompliance with
• Establish manuals for guide wires and vehicle maintenance, andvarious laws andprovide education and training to local companies, etc.
regulations

3

Status of efforts by region

3.1. Social implementation of automated driving mobility
services at Michi-no-Eki "Kamikoani"(1) Overview of the Project
Michi-no-Eki "Kamikoani" has been implementing the(2) M easures to ensure
traffic safety in areas
where non-cooperated
automated driving isdifficult

1. I nstallation of road markings, signboards and vehicle alerting
signboard using vehicle-to-infrastructure cooperation system
2. C
 onsideration of a separate structure and dedicated space forpedestrians and bicycles
3. Consideration of installing a waiting area for passing and overtaking
4. S tudy on the installation of measures to guide ordinary cars to
bypass and to control the speed(3) A ppropriate division ofroles between car androad for implementation• B ased on the results of (2) above, we are planning to compile a planfor the road environment, roadside environment, etc.

 enetration of services to diverse generations in cooperation with
1. P
educational institutions (fostering understanding and awareness of(4) Effective communication
automated driving services to multiple generations throughmethods (HMI) to
educational programs for children)
harmonize with
2. C
 onsideration of providing information (sound and light) on alerts
surrounding traffic
from the car through collaboration with SIP-adus (HMI Team), etc.
 valuation of the driving(5) E
environment

1. S tudy of operational conditions based on regional characteristics,
season, climate, etc.
2. S tudy on the impact of laying guide wires, RFID, etc. on pavement

service socially since November 2019 to revitalize local
communities and provide mobility support mainly for theelderly through automated driving. The service operates on aroute that connects the Michi-no-Eki, medical clinic, andother locations with three villages, using Michi-no-Eki"Kamikoani" as a base. (Fig.3) (As of July 2022, the service has
been in operation without accident for more than two years.
(2) Status of other business collaborations
In anticipation of the transfer of automated driving mobility
services to local communities, the possibility of collaboration
with tourism businesses and new collaborative projects arebeing studied to improve business continuity when the service
is transferred to a local operator. In addition, based on local
transportation needs, the project is transporting foodstuffs from
the Michi-no-Eki to the meal service center and collaboratingwith convenience stores along the operation route. (Fig.4)

Dogawa District
Dedic
not a ated secti
lloweod to e n (tempo
Assembly hallcomm nter w rary) w
here
unity ith the
ge
c
Appr
ox. 1.0ooperatio neral traffic
km o n of the loca is
ne w
ay
l

Kosawada District
Kosawada
Residence
Kosawada
Community Center
Kosawada Higashi
Kosawada
Post Office(1) M easures to secure
driving space using
vehicle-toinfrastructure
cooperation technology,etc.

Specific verification details
1. S ecuring permanent dedicated space in farm road sections(consideration of operation by making the space free of people, etc.)
2. C
 heck and study solutions for car and infrastructure issues such as
magnetic marker control, etc.
3. S eparation structure considering the speed difference from thenational highway, installation study of entrance/exit breakers

Dogawa Village

ClinicSenior Citizens Welfare Center(Council of Social Welfare)Lifelong Learning Center

Village officeMichi-no-Eki"Kamikoani"
Lodging andexchange center(Koanity)

Fukudate District

Fukudate Yamane

Familiarization through signage

Automated driving routes
Kosawada-Dogawa Route(5 km round trip, 43 min.)
Kosawada-Fukudate Route(4 km round trip, 35 min.)
Kosawada Loop Route(1.9 km round trip, 20 min.)Stop

Exchange Center

Fig.3: Operational route at Michi-no-Eki "Kamikoani" (Map source: NTT Spatial Information)

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1) Establishing the Environment for the Deployment of Transportation Services Relying on Automated Driving

Eigenji Taxi, a transportation company, as the operator andmanager, respectively, under the "Private Paid Passenger
Transport Service with the Cooperation of Transportation
Companies" system.
▲ Receipt of foodstuffs at
Michi-no-Eki▲ Automated vehicle arrives at a convenience store(2) Status of other business collaborations
In anticipation of the transfer of automated driving
mobility services to the region, and in order to improve thecontinuity of the business, measures are being implemented
to promote use, such as publicizing model courses incooperation with restaurants along the route, transporting
shipments to morning markets (mountain village markets)held at Michi-no-Eki, and supporting transportation forresidents to COVID-19 vaccination sites (clinics). (Fig.6)▲ Delivery of products
purchased at Michi-no-Eki▲ Delivery of foodstuffs at the foodservice center▲ Coming home with items purchased at a convenience store

Fig.4: Examples of initiatives linked to automated driving services(3) Efforts to improve social acceptability
The project is implementing both programs for residents
along the route and for tourists. Specifically, the project issoliciting nicknames for automated vehicles, holding
agricultural experience tours in cooperation with residents
along the route, and holding a photo exhibition of automatedvehicles.

(3) Efforts to improve public acceptance
The project is implementing initiatives targeting both
local residents and tourists. Specifically, the project isplanning automated driving tours in collaboration withrestaurants along the automated driving route, collaboratingwith traveling clinics for COVID-19 vaccinations, andcollaborating with a salon held at a Michi-no-Eki.
3.3. S ocial implementation of automated driving mobility services

3.2. S ocial implem entation of automated driving mobility
services at Michi-no-Eki "Okueigenji Keiryu no Sato"at the Yamakawa Branch Office of the Miyama City Hall

(1) Overview of the Project
Michi-no-Eki "Okueigenji Keiryu no Sato" has been
implementing the service socially since April 2021, with theobjectives of (1) regional revitalization and mobility support
mainly for the elderly via automated driving, and (2) service
utilization by tourists (visitors to the Michi-no-Eki, mountainclimbers, and campers). The service is based at Michi-no-Eki
Okueigenji Keiryu no Sato," and operates over a distance of 4.4
km (approximately 30 minutes) between the Michi-no-Eki
and the entrance to Choshigaguchi. (Fig.5) The automateddriving mobility service is operated by Higashiomi City and(1) Overview of the Project
The Yamakawa Branch Office of the Miyama City Hall has
been implementing the service socially since July 2021 withthe objectives of (1) creating a base for people to gather(LeFranc, etc.) and revitalizing human flow through atransportation service, and (2) building a safe, secure, andsustainable regional public transportation system in the future.
The service is based at the Yamakawa Branch Office of the
Miyama City Office and the Biomass Center LeFranc, andoperates on a route connecting the A-Coop Yamakawa store
and the Biomass Center LeFranc. (Fig.7) This location is▼ Warning signs

Michi-no-Eki▼ Signage on the route"Okueigenji Keiryu no Sato"

A Michi-no-Eki in a reused junior highschool building. It is a base forsupporting the daily lives of local
residents, and includes a city hallsub-branch office and a medical clinic.

Okueigenji Keiryu no Sato

Cross the bridge just outside
the Michi-no-Eki and you
will see a stop on your left.

Eigenji Campsite▼ Warning signs ▼ Road markings

In front of Hie Shrine

Approx. 2 min. walk
Kiwadakami
Kiwada Campground Resting Garden

Log village Miyama Campsite
Seiryu no Sato Auto Campground
Matsubara Auto CampgroundYuzurioguchi

LegendYuzurio

Automated vehicle stops
Campground
Driving route (about 2.2 km one way)

GSI Maps

Choshigakuchi Entrance
Choshigakuchi trailhead

Ikeda CampgroundRiverside Glamping Nuts

Fig.5: Operational route at Michi-no-Eki "Okueigenji Keiryu no Sato" (Map source: NTT Spatial Information)

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1) Establishing the Environment for the Deployment of Transportation Services Relying on Automated Driving○ Transportation support for events such as local meetings
・Meetings at salons at the Michi-no-Eki and meeting places in the villages along the route (Yuzurio, Kiwada)○ Transportation support for shopping at the Michi-no-Eki and using the clinic
・Promotion of shopping at the Michi-no-eEki and use of the on-site clinic (first and third Wednesdays)○ Transportation support for visiting friends' houses and facilities on the route・Short trips between friends’ houses and visiting facilities along the route (e.g., fish farms, shrines, etc.)○Holding meetings (salons) at community
associations and Michi-no-Eki
・Planning to start around July when vaccinationis underway (at meeting places in each village
and roadside stations), although it has beensuspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic○Promoting movement of Michi-no-Eki
and on-site clinics
・Cooperation with shopping use at Michi-no-Eki(Consider discount for purchase of a certain amount, etc.)
・Promote use through support for
vaccinations at clinics, etc.

○Promote transportation to roadsidefacilities, friends' homes, etc.
・Travel to friends' homes and roadsidefacilities using this service as anopportunity for local residents to get out
and about (support for short trips)

Salon for residents during long-term FOTs (held at a Michi-no-Eki)Use of on-site clinics (at time of vaccination)

Visits to fish farms by local residents, etc.

Fig.6: Status of other business collaboration efforts

operated under the "Private Paid Passenger Transport Service
with the Cooperation of Transportation Companies" system,with Miyama City acting as the operator and the transportation
operator (Setaka Taxi, which is commissioned to operate thecommunity bus) acting as the operator of the service.

In front of A-Co-op Yamakawa store
City hall Yamakawa Branch
Yamakawa Genkikan(2) Status of other business collaborations
At this location, a system called "Mobisuke" has been
introduced to comprehensively support automated driving
mobility services by performing various analyses such as farecollection, operation management, and boarding/exiting data.
Miyama City's automated driving mobility services areoperated as one of the community bus services, and since
there are transfers to and from the community buses, theentire community needs to have a bird's eye view of theoperation management. Therefore, "Mobisuke" was introduced
to the community bus service, and a system was constructedto check the operation status on a map. An overview of theoperation management system is shown in Fig.8.

Yamakawa Civic
Center

OubukanElementary
SchoolHaramachi
443

Matego(3) Efforts to improve public acceptanceIn order to operate automated driving services
sustainably, it is important to create momentum for theacceptance of automated driving in the community as awhole and to improve the public acceptance of automateddriving among local residents. In order to improve social
acceptance, it is necessary to make automatic driving known
not only to the elderly in the community but also to thecommunity as a whole. Therefore, as a program to promote

User
information

Reservation
information

Information on
getting on andoffService routeInbound (to A-Co-op Yamakawa)

Heikezakura
entrance

Outbound (to Lefranc)
Stop (proposed)

Lefranc

Community bus stop

Fig.7: Operational route at the Yamakawa branch office of the Miyama City
Hall (Map source: NTT Spatial Information)

Operation
information

Ticketinformation

Vehiclelocation
information

Real-time
video
information

Operation management system
User reservation system
Onboard device system
・Provide information to crew members ・Internet reservation
・Manage boarding and alighting ・Operation informationof passengers/fare payment
・Obtain the current location of the vehicle

Operation management system Vehicle monitoring system
・Management of boarding and alighting ・Voice interaction with crew
information and reservation information ・Camera monitoring inside and・Management of delay time and operation status outside the vehicle

Front camera
Interior
cameraFig.8: Overview of the operation management system

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1) Establishing the Environment for the Deployment of Transportation Services Relying on Automated Driving

Transport" system, with Iinan Town acting as the operator of
automated driving mobility service.

understanding of automated driving mobility services, we
held an on-site lecture on the mechanism of automateddriving for fifth graders on June 30, 2021, and for sixth
graders on November 16, 2021, at Oubukan Elementary
School along the route. (Fig.9)(2) Status of other business collaborations
For publicity and promotion of automated driving
services, the local community actively conducts its own
publicity in cooperation with Michi-no-Eki and tourist
associations. The means of publicity include posters, flyers,banners, social media, and handwritten publications, etc.
(Fig.11) In order to avoid one-way information transmission,
the company is working on publicity that takes into
consideration the interests and concerns of everyone fromchildren to the elderly by creating a coloring corner and aboard game with the route as a motif.
(3) Efforts to improve public acceptanceIn order to improve public acceptance of automateddriving mobility services among local residents, the project
is fostering affection for the vehicle by publicly soliciting
nicknames, and is also promoting user guidance, trial rides,and even registration of users at salons where elderly people
gather to facilitate their use when shopping and participatingin community activities.

ClassesFig.9: Onsite lecture

3.4. S ocial implementation of automated driving mobility
services at Michi-no-Eki "Akagi Kogen"(1) Overview of the Project
Michi-no-Eki "Akagi Kogen" has been implementing theservice socially since October 2021 with the following
objectives: (1) to build a sustainable management systemcentered in Iinan Town with existing organizations and local
volunteers, (2) to secure stable income such as commuter
passes, and to brush up the service (operation format) for easy
use by residents. The service operates along the Akana-jukuroute, which is based at Michi-no-Eki "Akagi Kogen," andcircles the Michi-no-Eki, Iinan Town Hall, and other locations.
(Fig.10) In addition, a shortcut (branch) is provided in thecenter of the route, and three routes are used: the northernroute, the southern route, and the all-around route. Thislocation is operated under the "Private Paid Passenger

Fig.11: Diverse public relations activities

Akana-jyuku route approx. 2.7 km/lap
Akana Elementary
SchoolSettlement (Akana area)
Inoue Clinic

Manpukutei

Shimoichi
KaikanTsuda Store
Akana Nursery
SchoolStop (9) is the nearest
Setoyama Castle Trailhead (information)
Nakaichikami Neighborhood
Association
Bank

BeautyparlorPharmacy

Yoshikawa
Yoshimori-do
Ikoi no Go
Kinukake

Akana Sake
Brewery

Fukushima residence
Post
officeMoebinoFukushima Residence (Community Space)

A Co-op[Shimane Prefecture]
Michi-no-Eki "Akagi Kogen"Iinan-cho, Shimane-ken

Akana Station

Iinan-cho

Akana Sightseeing
Peony Garden

Akagi Kogen

Hiroshima
Prefecture

Iinan Town Hall

Bus terminal "Akana Station"

A Co-op Akana Store

LegendMichi-no-Eki "Akagi Kogen" Direct produce market "Botan no Sato"

Akana
Community
CenterAkana-jyuku route
Stop
Main facilities, etc.

Fig.10: Route operated at Michi-no-Eki "Akagi Kogen" (Map source: NTT InfraNet)

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1) Establishing the Environment for the Deployment of Transportation Services Relying on Automated Driving

vehicle with a magnetic marker system and analyzed theoccurrence of manual intervention. (Fig.14) The number ofoccurrences of switching to manual operation and pauses due
to manual operation of the brake and steering wheel during
automated driving was 137 (0.57 times per trip, 0.76 times/km
over a total automated driving distance of 180 km) for a totalof 240 trip. Of these, 18 were due to stoppages caused by theautomated driving system (GPS and magnetic sensors).
In the aisles of facilities and parking lots, manualinterventions such as stopping to ensure safety and overtaking
off the path occurred due to the erratic behavior of othervehicles and pedestrians. On the other hand, no emergency
intervention to avoid collisions occurred.

3.5. Long-term automated driving mobility service FOTs
at Michi-no-Eki "Takahata"(1) Overview of the ProjectLong-term FOTs were conducted at Michi-no-Eki"Takahata" for 33 days from October 11 to November 12,
2021, to (1) confirm adaptability and operability as a meansof public transportation, (2) confirm the effectiveness andacceptability of short-distance mobility services and identify
issues in building a business model, and (3) verify thetechnology behind automated driving support. The route
started and ended at the Takahata Public Hospital, with the
Takahata Town Hall as the base. (Fig.12)
At this location, FOTs were conducted using an automatedvehicle with a magnetic marker system instead of theconventional electromagnetic guide wire system. The vehicle's
position is determined by repeated estimation and correcting
the estimated value using the magnetic marker. In addition,
the vehicle's travel route is set in advance, and the target
steering angle and speed are determined according to thevehicle's travel position by associating the vehicle's speed andstop commands. Fig.13 shows an image of the vehicle's own
vehicle location determination method and traveling method.

(3) Efforts to improve public acceptanceOn October 30, 2021 (Saturday), a seminar on automateddriving and a trial ride were held along the route of the
Vehicle sensors<2D
diagram>

Vehicles<Crosssectional view>
Magnetic markers

Detects
magnetic forcesabove
a certain
Permanent magnet to beinstalled on the road intensity at a
certainheightsurface
Magnetic
field▲ Image of magnetic marker reading(2) Technical verification of automated driving support

Fig.13: Image of magnetic marker reading

At this location, we conducted FOTs using an automated[South Route] Length approx. 1.4 km, 7 stops Takahata Hospital
Yamazawa, Ainomori Pharmacy, etc. Takahata Hospital[North Route] Length approx. 1.8 km, 5 stops Takahata Hospital
Takahata Town Hall, Super Kimura Takahata HospitalN

Route length (1 lap) Approx. 1.4 km

Town
library

Genkikan

reet

Town
library
York-Benimaru

hata
ad No. 7 Taka
Prefectural Route
Kawanishi Ro
Route length (round trip) Approx. 1.8 km
Created using
the GSI Maps

Approx. 1.0 km

Takahata Town
Hall

Takahata
Hospital

To Kawanishi

Approx. 0.4 km

Manual driving area

Genkikan

Hoshi
Pharmacy

Automated driving area

Approx. 1.1 km

Tsuruha Drug

Manual driving area

Approx. 0.7 km

Created using the GSI Maps

National
Route 399

Takahata
Town Hall

Automated driving area
Town Hall
St

reet

National
Route 399

Town Hall
St

Supermarket
KimuraTakahata
Hospital
Yamazawa DrugTo
Yamazawa
Ainomori
Pharmacy

Fig.12 Experiment route at Michi-no-Eki "Takahata" (Map source: NTT Spatial Information)N

Northern route

Length (round trip)
Automated driving section
Manual driving section

Approx. 1.8 km

Supermarket
KimuraApprox. 1.1 km
Approx. 0.7 km

NSouthern route

Length (1 lap)
Automated driving section
Manual driving section

Avoiding pedestrians crossing the street
Avoiding parking cars
Yielding the right ofway to oncoming traffic

Avoiding stopped cars
Overtaking avoidance

Takahata Town Hall

Library

Avoiding pedestrians crossing the street
Avoiding stopped cars
Avoidance of cargo-handling vehicles
Yielding the right of way to an oncoming car at
an intersection
Yielding the right of way for cars entering andexiting the parking lot
Overtaking avoidance
Genkikan Takahata Hospital

Created using
the GSI Maps

Approx. 1.4 km Takahata Town Hall
Approx. 0.4 km
Avoiding pedestrians
Approx. 1.0 km
crossing the street
Avoiding oncoming cars
when turning right
Avoiding parked cars
Avoiding vehicles enteringfrom the roadside
Overtaking avoidance
Library
Takahata
Hospital
Genkikan

York-Benimaru

TsuruhaDrug
Created using
the GSI Maps

Hoshi Pharmacy
Main intervention
pointsYamazawa
Aino no Mori Pharmacy

Main intervention
pointsFig.14: Manual intervention locations and main reasons (Map source: NTT InfraNet)

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automated driving FOTs with 78 elementary and junior highschool students and their guardians participating. (Fig.15)
The results of the questionnaire confirmed positive opinions
such as "I felt safe at low speeds," "I want to tell my family
about it," and "It would be good if it could be used at school
and in other places around me."▲ Information leaflet▲ Venue and test ride course▲ Jidoroku: Takahata version▲ Status of trial ride

▲ Exhibition description▲ Automated driving board game[Contacts]
Highway Industry Development Organization, ITS and New Road Creation
Division, Plaza Edogawabashi Bldg. 2F, 1-23-6 Sekiguchi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
112-0014, 03-5843-2917, Contact: Yoshiyuki KATO

Fig.15: Automated driving seminar and trial ride4

Conclusion

In this project, we verified the practical application of theautomated driving mobility services at four social
implementation sites and one long-term FOTs site, with theaim of implementing the service, which had already been
started in limited areas, in multiple areas throughout Japanon a permanent basis.
The first social implementation of automated driving
mobility services in Japan began at the Michi-no-Eki"Kamikoani" in November 2019, followed by Michi-no-Eki"Okueigenji Keiryu no Sato" in April 2021, the Yamakawa
Branch Office of the Miyama City Office in July of the same
year, and Michi-no-Eki "Akagi Kogen" in October of thesame year. The above four areas use electromagnetic guidewire automated vehicles, but at the long-term FOTs site(Michi-no-Eki "Takahata"), we conducted FOTs using avehicle that uses a magnetic marker to locate its own position.
In social implementation at four locations nationwide
and the long-term FOTs at one location, various efforts arebeing made to improve the sustainability of the project,including collaboration with other projects and increasing
the acceptability of the project among local residents. In
addition, the long-term FOTs confirmed the feasibility of a
new type of automated vehicle. In the future, it will benecessary to organize the items to be handed over to the local
operating entities in order to continue providing automateddriving mobility services after the project is completed. In
addition, we will continue to work on horizontal development
utilizing the know-how cultivated through this project inorder to expand the number of cases of automated driving
mobility services.

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A Society with Automated Driving(2) Public Acceptance of Automated Driving

Initiatives for Fostering Public
Acceptance (Overview)
Yuichi Araki, Hiroaki Kimura (Cabinet Office)1

Background and Overall Strategy

In order for the public at large to accept the new
innovation of automated driving and use it with confidence,
it is necessary to promote a correct understanding of
automated driving, present quantified benefits, raiseawareness, and develop supporting systems such as
insurance. The SIP-adus (Cross-ministerial Strategic
Innovation Promotion Program (SIP) Automated Drivingfor Universal Ser vices) has focused mainly on thedissemination of information and the quantification ofeffects, while also promoting initiatives aimed at a wide
range of targets based on a long-term plan.
In terms of information dissemination, test-ride eventswere held in conjunction with the FOTs (Field Operational
Tests) in the Tokyo waterfront area, and online events were
held in conjunction with FOTs of an automated driving
mobility services in rural areas. Furthermore, whileclarifying the target audience communication has beenstrengthened through interactive information dissemination.
On the other hand, we have also worked on quantifying
the effects of automated driving on society in order toprovide a more complete explanation of the impact of thistechnology. We have developed a method for estimating thesocial and economic impact of the spread of automateddriving, and also developed a method for measuring theeffect of activities to foster public acceptance itself.

2

Information dissemination via theInternet, social media etc.

We have had a Website since the first phase of SIP-adus,
which has disseminated information primarily on research
results and the SIP-adus Workshop, as international
conference. It was pointed out, however, that the website isfor specialists and somewhat difficult for the general public
to understand.
From the perspective of fostering public acceptance, we
therefore opened the SIP-café, a community for considering
an automated driving society (Fig.1), in October 2019, in
conjunction with the start of the FOTs in the Tokyo
waterfront area and to disseminate information andpromote understanding among the general public andothers. Under the responsible editorial supervision of Kazuo
Shimizu, an inter nat iona l automot ive j our na list,
information on automated driving was actively andFig.1: SIP-café internet website top page (1)162

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4 A Society with Automated Driving(2) Public Acceptance of Automated Driving
Initiatives for Fostering Public Acceptance (Overview)continuously distributed through content relating toautomated driving, focused on the medium of video but
also including other easy-to-understand information on
automated driving for the general public in the form ofarticles and editorials by experts who are well versed in
automated driving. Since its establishment, the website has
consistently published an average of more than 10 articles
per month on automated driving related efforts by related
ministries and agencies, including the SIP-adus, as well as
articles by columnists and other experts on automateddriving, and information on efforts for automated driving
technology development by private companies.
We have also created other video content. This includes
videos on the future vision for society through therealization of automated driving and the details of thetesting conducted by the participants in the FOTs in theTokyo waterfront area. We have also disseminatedinformation in conjunction with each of the SIP-adus
projects, including other information on the FOTs in theTokyo waterfront area and rural areas, a portal site for
geographic data architecture (MD Communet®), an app
contest (KYOTO Raku Mobi Contest), and virtual safetyvalidation technology (DIVP®).
Interactive communication has also been promoted bylinking with social media such as Twitter and Facebook.
On the other hand, for the website for specialists, we
tried to disseminate the research results of the first andsecond phases of SIP-adus in English in a timely manner,with an awareness toward international cooperation. (Fig.2)

3Media /Public Events

3.1. Events for media & automated driving professionals
The SIP-adus has conducted various events for the
media and automated driving professionals, both in real life
and online, as shown in Table 1.

Table 1 : List of Events
Date
October 2020

Fig.2: SIP-adus website top page (Japanese and English) (2)Event Name
Webinar "Automated Driving Related Laws"

November 2020

Status Report Meeting, SIP-adus Workshop 2020

March 2021

Webinar "Automated Driving Level 3 Law Revision and TechnicalStandards"
Interim Results Presentation Event

April 2021

Test-ride event

June 2021

Webinar "Liability Issues in Automated Driving"

October 2021

Test-ride event

December 2021

Webinar "HMI and Driver Overconfidence"

January 2022

Webinar "Software Updates and Cybersecurity"

March 2022

Webinar "Cooperative Areas of Mobility Data Utilization and Data
Provision"

From May 2022

Automated Driving Live News (10 times in total)

September 2022

Test-ride event

March 2023

Final Results Presentation Event

In November 2020, our results were reported at theTokyo International Forum with the participation of policy
implementers in order to promote collaboration among thevarious projects of the SIP-adus. The session was held aspart of the SIP-adus Workshop 2020, and was broadcast
on l i ne w it h E ng l i sh m ate r i a l s and s i mu lt ane ou sinterpretation to more than 1,000 people in Japan andabroad.
In addition, a total of six webinars were held from
October 2020 on the following themes: "Automated Driving

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Initiatives for Fostering Public Acceptance (Overview)

Related Laws" in October 2020; "Automated Driving Level 3
Law Revision and Technical Standards" in March 2021;"Liability Issues in Automated Driving" in June 2021; "HMIand Driver Overconfidence" in December 2021; "Software
Updates and Cybersecurity" in Januar y 2022; and"Cooperative Areas of Mobility Data Utilization and Data
Provision" in March 2022.
In conjunction with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic andParalympic Games, a test-ride event for the general public
and an exhibition of the results of FOTs were scheduled tobe held in the Tokyo waterfront area in cooperation with theJapan Automobile Manufacturers Association, but thesewere cancelled due to the spread of COVID-19. As areplacement, the Automated Driving Showcase to Change
the Future was held in March 2021 in collaboration with the
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministryof Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, combining
a symposium-style event and the presentation of interim
results in a hybrid format of a real and virtual venue.
This interim results presentation event was intended
mainly for operators and engineers involved in automateddriving services, but sought to provide the interim results of
the SIP-adus in a form that was also understandable to as
many people as possible, including the general public. The
exhibition featured exhibits of the results of technologicaldevelopment related to the building and distribution of
traffic environment information, including SPaT (Signal
Phase and Timing) information, merging lane assistanceinformation, and road traffic information using vehicle
probes. It also exhibited the vehicles used in the FOTs in theTokyo waterfront area and rural areas, actual equipment andvideo clips related to the construction of a geographic data
distribution portal, a safety evaluation environment in a
virtual environment, and other related topics. In addition,
online guided tours and virtual exhibits using a 3D walkthrough were also used, creating an event that responded tothe "new normal" of living with COVID-19. [See Section 4(2) 3) for more details]
Furthermore, in April 2021, a media test-ride event washeld in the Tokyo waterfront city area, staged with thecooperation of approximately twenty vehicles provided bynine companies who participated in the FOTs in the Tokyo
waterfront area. The event was well-received by the media,
who commented that they were able to deepen theirunderstanding of the technology and concept due to being
able to test-ride multiple automated vehicles at the sametime. With that in mind, we held another test-ride event in
the Tokyo waterfront city area in October 2021, again withthe cooperation of approximately twenty vehicles provided
by nine companies who participated in the FOTs in theTokyo waterfront area, while expanding the range of thetarget media. The introduction of the vehicles on YouTubeby a female journalist and tagging the content with "Work &Life" helped to expand dissemination of information on
automated driving to a diverse range of people, including
not only car enthusiasts but also people of child-rearing age
and others.
In September 2022, a test-ride event was held again in
the Tokyo waterfront city area under the theme of "Japanleads the world in traffic safety for the future Cohesive
Society that respects diversity." It was targeted at media,
Generation Z students, and local citizens, with thecooperation of vehicles provided by the participants in the
FOTs in the Tokyo waterfront area. The final results of thefive years of the SIP-adus will be presented to the generalpublic during the Final results presentation event in March
2023.
3.2. Citizen dialogue
Table 2 : List of Events
Date

Event Name

December 2018

Citizen Dialogue: Shodoshima-cho, Shodo-gun, Kagawa

August 2019

Citizen Dialogue: Ina City, Nagano

January 2021

Citizen Dialogue: Maebashi City, Gunma

March 2021

Regional Automated Driving Summit

June 2021

Citizen Dialogue: Yokohama City, Kanagawa

April 2022

Citizen Dialogue: Tochigi

From May 2022

Automated Driving Live News (total of 10 times)

Symposiums and citizen dialogues have been held asinteractive events with citizens, local government officials,
and related businesses, as shown in Table 2.
In particular, during the second phase of SIP-adus one
primary theme has been to solve local social issues, and sothese dialogues were held not only in Tokyo but also in theregional areas where the aim is to solve social issues throughautomated driving.
"A Plan for the Future of Japan: Shodoshima, Mobility
Services Tailored to Each Region" was held in December
2018 in Shodoshima-cho, Shodo-gun, Kagawa Prefecture.
"The Role of Automated Driving in Supporting the Future of
People, Towns, and Lifestyles: Toward the Realization of a
Town Where People Want to Live Forever" was held in
August 2019 in Ina City, Nagano Prefecture, where FOTs
had also been conducted by the SIP-adus. "Ideal Cities andAutomated Driving" was held in January 2021 in Maebashi
City, Gunma Prefecture. "Traffic and Mobility Required in
Urban Transportation: Toward Social Implementation ofAutomated Driving" was held in June 2021, in Yokohama
City, Kanagawa Prefecture. "Toward the Construction of
Sustainable Mobility Services that Respond to Local

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4 A Society with Automated Driving(2) Public Acceptance of Automated Driving
Initiatives for Fostering Public Acceptance (Overview)

Conditions: The Challenge of All Tochigi" was held in April
2022, in Tochigi Prefecture.
At the Regional Automated Driving Summit in March
2021, the leaders of Iinan Town, Shimane Prefecture; Eiheiji
Town, Fukui Prefecture; Kamikoani Village, Akita
Prefecture; Chatan Town, Okinawa Prefecture; andHigashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture spoke about their local
governments' initiatives and thoughts on automated driving.
This was followed by a two-part panel discussion on"Solutions to Local Issues" and "Next Generation Public
Transportation Systems and Operators' Efforts," featuring
stakeholders involved in automated driving in local
communities, public transportation operators, andautomated driving venture companies. The format ofconnecting various local stakeholders via the internet wasan event that could only be held online.
In addition, from FY2022, in order to reach a wider
range of people, including the members of Generation Z
who will be the future leaders of the new mobile society,since May we have been released ten episodes of AutomatedDriving Live News, with a mix of real discussion on avariety of topics from the perspective of users and the
younger generation and distributed live via Zoom andYouTube.

4

Quantifying the Effects of AutomatedDriving

We have organized and quantified the impact ofautomated driving in order to provide material for open
discussion of the benefits and potential risks of suchtechnology, based on factors such as the technology leveland penetration of automated driving.
Specifically, economists have compiled quantitativeevaluation methods for the social and economic impact of
reducing traffic accidents and traffic congestion, improved
the accuracy of simulations developed during the first phaseof SIP-adus to estimate the effect of reducing traffic
accidents, and compiled them into a method for calculating
the overall impact. In addition, we held a contest for
students to propose their visions for the future automateddriving society, aiming to disseminate information from theleaders of the automated driving society themselves basedon the results of this research. [See Section 4 (2) 2) for moredetails]
We also studied research as a medical-engineeringcollaboration on the evaluation of the effectiveness ofdriving support technology for people with visual field loss,
and clarified the effectiveness of advanced driving support

systems in reducing accidents involving people with visual
field loss to the same level or less as normal drivers, making
clear the importance of the field of vision in driving. We
held a number of webinars on the relationship between
visual field loss and driving, which is not widely known, andthe role of automated driving and advanced driving
assistance systems in this area; in July 2021, "TheIntersection of Visual Field Loss and Automated Driving";
in September 2021, "Driving Licenses and Visual Field Loss
- Considering Driving and Employment"; and in January2022, "Visual Field Loss and Automated Driving Systems."
We also started to develop a method for measuring theeffectiveness of public acceptance activities themselves, andconducted nationwide questionnaire surveys of 10,000
people in January 2020, January 2021, and January 2022 (incooperation with the Ministry of Economy, Trade andIndustry and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport
and Tourism). By continuously conducting the same scalequestionnaire survey every year, we evaluated changes overtime and analyzed the questionnaire results to quantify thecurrent status of public acceptance factors (lifestyle changes,
learning, costs, inherent characteristics/technologicallimitations, response to accidents, etc.). In addition, KPI/KGI indices were developed based on the past questionnaire
surveys. The survey results will be used to evaluate efforts tofoster public acceptance and provide feedback on such
efforts in the future. [See Section 4 (2) 1) for more details]
In addition to this, opinions about buses were collectedfrom passengers such as wheelchair users and people withpoor eyesight, and then compiled and proposed to the Japan
Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA). The hopeis to make such vehicles kinder on people with disabilities
or reduced mobility and orientation who have highexpectations for automated driving. [See Section 4 (2) 4) for
more details][References]
(1)	SIP-café, a community for considering an automated driving society,https://sip-cafe.media/, (Ref. 2022.10.19)(2) SIP-adus homepage, https://en.sip-adus.go.jp/, (Ref. 2022.10.19)[Contacts]
Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Cabinet Office,1-6-1 Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8914, 03-6257-1334, Contact:
Yuichi Araki, Hiroaki Kimura

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4

Society with Automated Driving(2) Public Acceptance of Automated Driving

1) Research and Evaluations for Fostering
Public Acceptance
Yukiko Miyaki (DAI-ICHI LIFE RESEARCH INSTITUTE INC.)(Abstract) In the social implementation of automated driving technology, it is essential to foster public acceptance inaddition to the development of the technology and regulatory system. A correct understanding and a flexible andappropriate response by consumers will promote the early and effective use of the technology and ensure the safetyof the new road traffic system. The author, in cooperation with related ministries and agencies, has conductedconsumer awareness surveys on automated driving for several years, following up on the changes in awareness andexploring what information in which areas, and how to provide it, will lead to the fostering of public acceptance.
Based on the focus on ADAS in the interim report, this paper looks closely at automated driving as a passenger
transport service vehicle in local communities, and examines the relationship between the degree of acceptance of"lifestyle change," "learning," "cost," and "inherent characteristics and technological limitations," which are considered
to constitute public acceptance, and awareness within the community. This paper then discusses action evaluation
in fostering public acceptance and presents hints for fostering public acceptance of automated driving and theimportance of a co-creation system.
Keywords: Public acceptance, consumer awareness, community mobility, social impact, visualization of effects

1

Project Execution Flow and Survey
Contents

of driver's license) and securing the means of transportation tomaintain their lifestyles have become social issues. In many
regions, public transportation is being reduced and drivers arein short supply and are aging themselves, making the securingof sustainable means of transportation an urgent issue.

1.1. Background and objectives
In conjunction with the author's participation as an expert
committee member in a METI/MITI project since 2016, theDai-ichi Life Research Institute has conducted questionnaire
surveys on automated driving for the purpose of understanding
consumers. Based on these surveys, time-series data on
consumer behavior and awareness have been collected as a
METI/MITI project from the January 2019 (FY2018) survey
and as a joint survey by the two ministries and the Cabinet
Office SIP from the 2020 (FY2019) survey. Based on this data,
proposals have been made regarding the KPI/KGI evaluation
indices and processes for actions to foster public acceptance asan

SIP-adus(Cross-ministerial

Strategic

Innnovation

Promotion Program (SIP) Automated Driving for Universal
Services).
Various factors are behind the use of automated driving
technology in Japan, but the focal point is the aging society,which is said to be "era of 100-year-life". The baby boomer
generation, which experienced the rapid increase in dependence
on private cars, are now elderly, and whether or not they cancontinue driving from a safety perspective (e.g., the surrendering

In addition, even if public transportation is offered as analternative to people and communities that have long been
dependent on private cars, there may be circumstances where it
is not easy for their lifestyles to change, including it being
difficult to get to a train station or bus stop.
Two possible solutions to these issues using automateddriving technology are "extending driving life expectancy" inthe sense of increasing the safety of travel using private cars,
and the "creation of alternative transportation" that allows
people to continue living in their community without using
their own cars. (Fig.1)

Extension ofdriving life expectancy
A society where people can continue
driving even if their life is 100 years

Creation ofalternative transportation
A society where people can travel freely
and safely even if they do not have accessto a private vehicle

Improvement of driving support
functions in private cars so that thesurrendering of driver's licenses canbe postponed to a certain extent evenif physical functions deteriorate due
to aging = automated driving ofprivately owned vehicles
Introduction of automated vehicles
as public transportation that enables
travel within and between
communities without the use ofprivate vehicles = Automated drivingof service vehicles

Fig.1: Two solutions aimed at mobility in the era of the 100-year-life using
automated driving technology

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4.Society with Automated Driving(2) Public Acceptance of Automated Driving
1) Research and Evaluations for Fostering Public AcceptanceAs "SIP 2nd Phase: Automated Driving for Universal Services— Mid-Term Results Report (2018–2020) "focused on the“extending driving life expectancy" part, this paper focuses on
the "creation of alternative transportation" and discusses the"Questionnaire Survey on Vehicles and Automated Driving"that has been conducted four times. The second phase of SIPadus.

(%)
60

The survey was conducted as a Cabinet Office SIP survey(late January to early February 2022), which re-surveyed 20,631

59.4

58.2

55
50
45

40

1.2. Summary of the Fourth Questionnaire Survey

58.8

56.9

48.4
44.0

43.7
43.2

43.6

40.9
39.9

42.7

37.1
35

47.4

49.4

43.5
42.9

45.5
45.1
44.8

42.0

41.0

37.9

30
2019

2020

2021

2022

people as a sample of the men and women aged 18-69 fromI am concerned about means of transportation in my old age in the community I am living inacross Japan who participated in the internet survey by the

I cannot live without a car in my old age in the community I am living in

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry ofLand, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and 10,357
responses were received and merged into one survey. In
preparing the questionnaire, in addition to collecting opinionsfrom the National Police Agency, there was collaboration with

It is inconvenient to travel by bus or train in my old age in the community I am living in
I want to continue living in the community I am living in, in my old age
I want to move to a different area if I do not have the means to move freely in my old age
I am thinking about the time when I can no longer use my current means of transportation in the future

Fig.2: Changes in awareness regarding mobility in old age

other contractors such as the University of Tsukuba and theservice vehicles are expected to be one solution to solve theUniversity of Tokyo.

driver shortage and bring mobility to communities, even if
their speed is slow.

2

Recognition of Mobility Issues in theCommunity and Public Acceptance ofAutomated Driving

2.2. Organizing Public AcceptanceIn the area of automated driving, in addition to theperspective of technological safety and the development of laws
and rules, another major challenge to be addressed is how to

2.1. Mobility Issues in the Community

make automated driving accepted and used effectively in society

The local transportation environment and issues play a majorfrom the perspective of public acceptance.

role in the use of automated driving technology as alternative

Regarding the public acceptance of automated driving, thetransportation. Regarding attitudes toward mobility in old age, aauthor created and analyzed composite scores consisting of thelook at changes in survey results since 2019 shows that while thefollowing four categories: (1) Lifestyle changes: acceptance of

number of people who say that they "want to continue living inchanges in lifestyle due to the spread of automated driving, (2)their current area in old age" has increased, the number ofLearning: acceptance of the burden of learning for the spread ofpeople who say that they "are concerned about transportation

automated driving, (3) Cost: acceptance of various cost burdens

means in old age in their current area," that they "cannot livein the spread of automated driving, and (4) Uniqueness/without a private car in their current area," that "moving in oldtechnical limits: acceptance of the characteristics and techniccal

age using buses or trains is inconvenient in their current area,"

limits and risks particular to automated driving. (Fig.3)

and that they "want to move to another area if they do not havethe means to move freely in their old age" has an increasing
trend. In addition, the percentage of respondents who "think
about the time when the means of transportation I currently use
may not be available in the future", which is data that has beenacquired since 2020, is also increasing, indicating that more
people are aware of mobility issues in their old age. (Fig.2)
The hurdles to using public transportation as an alternative
to private cars are not insignificant for people and communities
that are highly dependent on private cars. However, when we
think about the future, we must also assume a gradual shift to(1) Lifestyle Changes(2) Learning

Can the various lifestylechanges due to the spreadof automated driving be
accepted?

Can the burden ofvarious learning involvedin the widespread use of
automated driving be
accepted?

(3) Cost(4) Uniqueness/technical limits

Can the various cost burdens due to the spread of
automated driving be
accepted?

Can the particular characteristics and the technological limitations and risks ofautomated driving be
accepted?

Fig.3: Four elements for public acceptancesuch a lifestyle, and a public consensus is gradually emerging on
this issue. Under these circumstances, automated driving
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4.Society with Automated Driving(2) Public Acceptance of Automated Driving
1) Research and Evaluations for Fostering Public Acceptance2.3. 
Public Acceptance Scores and Community
Awareness: Results of the Survey
Regarding the four acceptance factors, looking at theirrelationship with the characteristics of the community reveals
that there is a relationship between people's community
awareness and the acceptance.

party awareness in which one is involve in wanting to improve20

the community".

15

about their thoughts and ideas about their community, and10

these items are similar to the civic pride mentioned above.

5

ApplicableNot applicable

14.22

15.56

14.75

13.01

12.36

12.88

Cost

ApplicableNot applicable

13.35

12.80

Uniqueness/
technical
limitsLearning

015.07

Lifestylechanges

I am living in for a long time," for affirmative ("applies" and13.56

Uniqueness/
technical
limits(Points)

community I am living in," and "I want to live in the community

Cost

Pride Study Group), it is "a sense of pride based on a kind of

I am living in a better place," "I am aware of the issues in the

12.44

Fig.6: Community awareness and acceptance scores(I am aware of the issues in the community I am living in)

the Tokyo University of Science (representative of the Civic

the community I am living in," "I want to make the community

13.29

Learning

0

to their own community; according to Professor Kaori Ito fromwere compared for the four questions of "I like/am attached to

15.07

5

their city, but it is not merely a feeling of affection or attachment

In this analysis, the mean values of each acceptance score

15.62

10

important. Civic pride refers to the pride that citizens have inIn the third and fourth surveys, respondents were also asked

14.53

Lifestylechanges

In city planning, the concept of "civic pride" is considered(Points)
20
15.18
15

Fig.7: Community awareness and acceptance scores(I want to live in the community I am living in for a long time)"somewhat applies") and negative ("does not apply" and "doesTentatively assuming these items to be civic pride, it can be

not apply at all") responses and it was confirmed that when

said that in communities with high awareness, a relatively highoverall awareness of the community was high then acceptancepercentage of people will accept the changes in their lifestylescores were also high. (Figures 4-7)

that will be brought about by the social implementation of the(Points)
20
15.07
13.94
15

new technologies and mechanisms for automated driving,
accept the learning required for such changes, bear the
15.56

14.47

13.00

12.18

13.31

necessary costs, and accept the inherent characteristics and
12.74

technological limitations of automated driving.
In other words, it can be said that in pioneering the10

implementation of automated driving, it will be effective as a5strategy to introduce it first in areas with high civic pride and to

ApplicableNot applicable
Fig.4: Community awareness and acceptance scores(I like/am attached to the area I live in)

Uniqueness/
technical
limitsCost

Learning

Lifestylechanges0(Points)

20
15

15.15

15.65
13.96

14.44

13.06

12.20

13.35

12.76

10

How to express automated driving

3 technology as a solution

3.1. Arousing People’s Action Through Two Steps ofUnderstanding and AcceptanceIn the social implementation of new mechanisms andtechnologies such as automated driving, in addition to the5understanding of users, consumers, and residents, it is essential
Cost

ApplicableNot applicable

Uniqueness/
technical
limitsLearning

Lifestylechanges0"foster it as a local mechanism".

Fig.5: Community awareness and acceptance scores(I want to make my community a better place)to foster their awareness of "effective and safe use". It is tempting
to take a passive stance when introducing technology, assumingthat the technology will cover all safety issues.
However, as Goal 12 of the SDGs 'responsible consumption
and production' says, consumers of the future are expected to168

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4.Society with Automated Driving(2) Public Acceptance of Automated Driving
1) Research and Evaluations for Fostering Public Acceptancecontribute to the sustainability of society by being involved in

However, although there is a tendency to consider the 'How'"responsible consumption" in the form of effective use whileof "how to implement it" first, initially there should be a processsecuring safety. In addition, 100% safe technology is practicallyof first ascertaining the local issues (the 'Why') and then

impossible. There are significant risks even with existing

considering how automated driving technology can be used tovehicles, and users are expected to ensure greater safety in thesolve those issues (the 'What'), including the points of whatform of obeying the rules when using them. It is also necessary

kind of technology will be used to drive what kind of vehicle

to form a similar consensus for the introduction of automatedand in what manner will be used to drive the vehicle. (Fig.9)

driving. Regarding automated driving, which tends to be

In practice, it seems that such a process and approach is

expected to be a completed technology, it is important tobeing taken in communities where social implementation andunderstand its characteristics and limitations, and consider

FOTs (Field Operational Tests) are successful.

what methods of use will compensate for its technologicalshortcomings and issues.
Further, as shown in Fig.8, it is also necessary to take into
account the fact that "understanding" and "acceptance" aredifferent. First, as Phase 1, action is required to increase theamount of information about automated driving for consumers
and to raise their level of awareness and understanding.

What

Phase 1
Actions to increase people's
amount of information,awareness and understanding

However, the level of acceptance does not necessarily increaseas the level of awareness and understanding increases. Somepeople judge "non-acceptance" as a result of an increase in thelevel of understanding of automated driving. Accordingly, what
is required as Phase 2 is a process that seeks a path to solving

Why

Why is automated driving
technology necessary?
<As a solution
to social issues>

What is automated driving
technology?
<As possibility>

Phase 2
Actions thatinspirepeople’ s
How to overcome the issues in social implementation? behavior

How

problems by identifying specific issues from those who are"non-accepting" due to some issues or risks, finds parts that can

Fig.9: The ‘How’ derives from the ‘What’ and the ‘Why’

be complemented not only in terms of technology, but also byconcessions and cooperation among people in terms of theestablishment of usage methods and rules, and stimulating
consumers to take action themselves.
Awareness of automated driving: High

Problem study, countermeasures,
collaboration, resolution
Understandbut not accept

Phase 2
Actions that encourage
people's conduct

3.2. Visualization of the value and effect - social impact assessment
In order to promote understanding and acceptance, whenselecting the solution of "automated driving" as a result ofconsidering the ‘Why’ and the ‘What’, it is necessary to visualize
the value and effect of mobility and automated driving. In
particular, in the formation of a consensus on the investment ofUnderstand andacceptpublic funds, it is essential to consider from the perspective ofwhat degree of investment effect can be expected. From thisnon-acceptanceAcceptancepoint of view, regional public transportation basically operates=

Positive=

Negative

Not accept because of
not understanding

at a loss, and even if it were replaced by automated driving, it
Accept without
understanding Phase 1

Awareness of automated driving: Low

Actions to increase
people's amount of
information, awarenessand understanding

Fig.8: Two phases of understanding and acceptancecannot be expected to be profitable, at least in terms of farerevenue, and is unlikely to become profitable in the short term.
Also, it is more than a theory that if people give up theirprivate cars, they can apply the cost of purchasing andmaintaining them to public transportation. Private cars do not

In this process, it is necessary to understand the backgroundand issues of "why automated driving technology is being usedin our community". In addition, it is necessary to correctly
understand the current status of what can and cannot be donewith automated driving technology. Only when there is anunderstanding that automated driving technology can be a
promising solution to local problems can people face thechallenge of how to implement this technology.

demonstrate their value simply through transportation only;
their value as an object of desire and preference is also great, in
addition to the convenience and psychological security of being
able to drive it at any time.
In this way, while costs should not be taken in a narrow
sense, they are not always measurable quantitatively, so it isnecessary to take the social impact into account when
visualizing them.

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4.Society with Automated Driving(2) Public Acceptance of Automated Driving
1) Research and Evaluations for Fostering Public AcceptanceFor example, in addition to the economic benefits ofsense of protecting the sustainability of people's lives byimproved community accessibility, the invigoration of mobility

maintaining and sustaining mobility in the community, and thecan prevent frailty and extend the healthy life expectancy of theperspective of "utilizing" in the sense of creating various

elderly, thereby reducing medical and nursing care costs andspillover effects through the use of mobility. (Table 1)

manpower (mainly for family members). Many people also

It is the consumers themselves who will benefit greatly fromenjoy seeing and photographing mobility. If mobility becomes athe spread of automated driving. In light of this point, it iscommunity icon, it will not only increase the flow of people

thought that increasing the number of opportunities forfrom outside the community, but also improve commitment to

consumers themselves to be proactively involved and consider

the community. Thus, the enhancement of mobility will

how to incorporate and use the technology in their daily lives

improve the quality of life of community residents and citizens.

and how safe and effective social implementation can be

In order to put the effects of the introduction of automatedachieved (the ‘How’), and fostering an awareness of the issues asdriving technology, including the impact assessment, into thebeing their own issues, will lead to the creation of prompt andcontext of fostering public acceptance, it is necessary to visualize

safe mobility, and the realization of a sustainable society.

the effects financially from a multifaceted and long-term
perspective, from both the perspective of "enlivening" in the
Table 1: Ensuring sustainability and visualizing the effects of community mobility
Actions

Viewpoint

Steps for public acceptance - setting

4 KPIs and KGIs

Keywords

Viewpoint of "enlivening"community mobility
Maintaining its existence● Create and maintain means of transportation that fit the community
environment and needs● Development of mobility infrastructure that enables people tocontinue moving after they have surrendered their driver's license or
have lost physical functions due to aging, illness, disability, etc.
● Ensure safety during movement

This process is summarized in the action evaluation sheet in● Sustainability● Maintain daily life

Table 2. The purpose of this project was to establish and evaluate● Safety and security● Acceptance of inconvenience● Fosteringawareness of the use of diverse mobility by a diverse range of people

Viewpoint of "utilizing"
community mobility
Utilizing it● Recognition and visualization of the impact(financial and non-financial value) of mobility

should be set in the process of fostering public acceptance of● Economic Effects(1)Economic effects (direct and indirect)
Examples: Fare revenue, improved accessibility,community revitalization, reduced social security costs(2)Health Benefits
Examples: Disease prevention, maintenance and improvement of
mental health, extension of healthy life expectancy(3)Creating connections and fun
Examples: Creation of opportunities for face-to-face contact andcommunication, vehicles as objects of preference

what points should be kept in mind and what benchmarks● Extension ofhealthy life expectancy● Wellbeing● Improvement of qualityof life● Pleasant, fun,happy experiences● Awareness of inconvenience

automated driving. As part of this effort, a consumer survey was
conducted, and interviews and workshops have also been held.
The entire process has been classified into ten processes, anditems to be considered for each process have been set as
checkpoints.

Table 2: Action evaluation sheet
Activity item

Step

2

Foundation study

1

3
Transmission

4

5

7

Reception and diffusion

6

8

10

Goals

9

Creation and coordination of theoverall framework and strategies forthe individual projects(Frame & Strategy)

Checklist (2022 updated version)

1. Has an annual activity plan been formulated after devising a comprehensive medium to long-term
strategy based on the existing information, situation, and the previous fiscal year’s outputs?
2. Has a process with clear goals been formulated for each project?
3. Are projects cooperating so there is no waste or duplication?
(comprehensiveness, appropriate target selection, etc.)

Information collection and understandingof the targets and circumstances(Target Grasp)
Selection, editing, and processing oftransmitted information(Adaptation)

1. Has sufficient information (culture, characteristics, issues, etc.) collection and understanding been
conducted in advance about the targets (society, community, people, etc.) in which public acceptancewill be fostered?

Means, media, and venues for
information transmission(Means)

1. Have the most appropriate means, media, and venues been used for information transmission to thetargets?

Experience Opportunity Creation/UX(Experience)

1. Was an opportunity created for the target to personalize the issues through a realistic customer
experience in accordance with local issues and needs?

Feedback and bidirectionality(Communication)

1. Has the selection of appropriate information for the target audience been considered for information transmission?
2. Has appropriate information suited to the target audience been edited and processed for transmission?

2. Was the Society 5.0 perspective (fusion of the physical and virtual) considered?

1. Could the impact of information transmission be verified through the response of the targets andinteraction with them?
2. Were areas for improvement of the content and methods of information transmission discovered and
new ideas gained through the response of the targets and interaction with them?

Information diffusion and social
interest(Expansion)

1. Did the activities and information transmission lead to the diffusion of relevant information throughmass media, social media, etc.?
2. Did it create the effect of communicating information between people?
3. Were you able to elicit a derivative effect by improving the degree of satisfaction of existing users?

Consumer understanding(Understanding)

1. Verification of whether consumers' understanding (‘What’) of automated driving and ADAS functions has improved
2. Verification of understanding (‘Why’) about the background of introducing automated driving and
ADAS functions into society
3. Were consumers' intrinsic behavior to understand automated driving and ADAS functions aroused?

Consumption and use behavior(Use)

Social acceptance among consumers(Acceptance)

Phase 1
Why: Background/needs
What: Instillation of
mechanisms and rules

1. Did the consumers understand the social issues and their own situation, and do they show willingness
to adopt technology effectively and safely in their own lives?
2. Do the consumers show willingness to think about how they should act in order to effectively andsafely adopt technology into their own lives (‘How’)?

Phase 2How
* How to implement it in aform that suits the community* How consumers will be
involved and act to achieve this

1. Do consumers appear to be receptive to each of the factors that may arise from the introduction of
automated driving technology? (1) Lifestyle changes (2) Learning (3) Costs (4) Characteristics andtechnological limitations

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4.Society with Automated Driving(2) Public Acceptance of Automated Driving
1) Research and Evaluations for Fostering Public Acceptance

4.1. The process for Phase 1

culture, and history of the people living in the community, andSteps 1 through 7 correspond to the "Phase 1" referred to in
Figures 8 and 9.
Steps 1 and 2 are defined as the "foundation study" for the"creation and coordination of the overall framework andstrategies for the individual projects". Step 1 is to conduct the
management, such as ascertaining the overall picture of the SIP
until now and considering the strategy, and allocating thenecessary resources to the necessary sections while watchingover each project. Step 2 is "information collection andunderstanding of the targets and circumstances," which refers
to information collection and understanding of the targets(society, communities, people, etc.) in which public acceptanceis to be fostered. Until now, the author has attempted to gain an
overall understanding by collecting quantitative data throughnationwide surveys, but it will be more important in the future
to collect detailed information for each community.
Steps 3 through 5 are "transmission," which questions
whether the information content and appropriate media wereselected to match the target audience, and whether realexperience value was provided so that the target audience could
personalize the issues.
Steps 6 and 7 are "reception and diffusion," which measures
the impact and level of understanding of the information
through two-way communication with the target audience, andfurthermore, asks whether communication among the target

then to recognize what specific issues they are facing. Since
local media such as regional newspapers have significant
influence in regional areas, collaborating with such media toeffectively communicate the ‘Why’ and ‘What’ aspects shouldbe effective. In addition, since the media with high affinity
differs depending on the attributes and community, it is also
important to select the most appropriate media and process theinformation into the most appropriate form. It is important tocreate a system that uses a variety of media to effectively spread
information while creating connections among people andcommunities.
There are some cases in which regional automated driving
events attract only those who are involved in or interested in
automated driving, such as business operators and relatedparties, so ingenuity is required so that information reaches adiverse range of people and arouses their interest, such as byholding joint events with other fields.

5.2. Sharing information and case studies
In recent years, many FOTs of automated driving service
vehicles have been conducted throughout Japan, and some ofthem have progressed to social implementation, so it is also
important to systematically share such cases. Since the needs
and backgrounds of each community differ, it is natural that alarge part is tailored to the community in the implementation

audience has been created as a derivative effect.

of automated driving services, but there are many cases where

4.2. The process for Phase 2

goes without saying that successful examples should be shared,

examples from other communities can be used as references. It

Steps 8 to 10 correspond to "Phase 2" in Figures 8 and 9 andindicate, based on consumers’ understanding, that consumers
are proactively involved in utilizing it effectively and safely
themselves, and accepting the associated lifestyle changes,
learning, costs, inherent characteristics and technologicallimitations.

but also sharing cases that did not go well will add significant
value to the FOTs overall. Furthermore, the value of the FOTs
will be maximized by aggregating this information in acentralized manner and deploying it in a cross-cutting manner.

5.3. Consensus building for co-creation and complementation between people and technology
In the transmission of information regarding technology, it

5Transmission and sharing of informationand consensus formation toward public
acceptance of automated driving

5.1. Information transmission tailored to communities and targets
In regional areas, awareness of mobility issues is particularly
high, and the social implementation of automated driving
services vehicles as one of the solutions requires that thesignificance of this issue be transmitted through a variety ofmeans.
To this end, it is necessary to first understand the awareness,is necessary to share not only "what can be done," but also thetechnological limitations and specific risks to obtain a social
consensus. Just as human error is inevitable, system error is also
inevitable. In the same way that it is presupposed that there are
dangers that accompany conventional cars and that users are
expected to make efforts to reduce the risks by wearing seatbelts
and child restraints and obeying traffic rules, the process of
introducing automated driving into society must be conductedin a form where the users incorporate the technical limitationsof automated driving.
By adopting a style in which humans compensate for thelimitations and inadequacies of the new technologies, and byadopting an attitude of nurturing the technologies and

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1) Research and Evaluations for Fostering Public Acceptancemechanisms throughout society, measures can be taken as aresult to resolve social issues at an early stage. Increasingawareness of "mobility," which is one of the major issues in theera of 100-year lives, will ultimately lead to the creation of safe,
secure, and sustainable mobility and contribute to maintaining
the quality of life and wellbeing of people.
Automated driving technologies are a "means" to this end,
and it is necessary to review the point that social implementationand fostering public acceptance are not "ends" in themselves,and for industry, government, academia, and the private sector
to collaborate toward co-creation.

[References]
(1)	Miyaki, Yukiko: "Toward Acceptance of Automated Driving in Society-Aiming to Solve Social Issues through Proactive Consumer
Involvement -," Automotive Technology, Vol. 73, No. 2, pp. 32-38, 2019.
(2)	Miyaki, Yukiko: "Toward Fostering Public Acceptance of AutomatedDriving," Academic Trends 2022.2 , pp. 100-104, 2022.
[Contacts]
Life Design Research Department, Dai-ichi Life Research Institute Inc., 1-13-1
Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0006, 050-5474-8244, Contact: MIYAKI Yukiko(Director and General Manager, Excective Researcher, miyaki@dlri.jp)

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4

Society with Automated Driving(2) Public Acceptance of Automated Driving

2) Development of Assessment Methodology for
Socioeconomic Impacts of Automated Driving
Including Traffic Accident Reduction
Yoshihiro Suda (The University of Tokyo), Hiroaki Miyoshi (Doshisha University)(Abstract) The evaluation of the social and economic impact of automated driving is extremely important in terms offostering social acceptance, government policy making, and application to corporate management regarding automateddriving. Based on this recognition, the purpose of this paper is to present an overview of "Study of socioeconomic
impacts of automated driving including traffic accident reduction" and its successor project, "Research on assessmentof the impact of automated driving on society and the economy and on measures to promote deployment." This paper
first introduces two models (dynamic model and static model) of the "diffusion simulation" of automated vehicles, whichis the basis of the socioeconomic impact assessment, following overview of the impact assessment on road traffic,
transportation services, and industry and society, which were conducted using the results of the diffusion simulation.
Keywords: socioeconomic impact assessment, diffusion simulation, traffic accident, traffic simulation

1

Purpose and contents of the study

Impact on road traffic

Impact on transportation
services

AdviceInternational
cooperation

Impact on industry andsociety

Advisory committee

Socioeconomic Impact Analysis

Diffusion simulation

to understand how the speed of automated driving diffusion
and the resulting socioeconomic impact will differ dependingon economic incentives for automated driving and how
automated driving vehicles are introduced to the market.

Relevance of automated driving to SDGs

The practical application and expansion of automateddriving can contribute to solving social issues such as
reducing traffic accidents, reducing traffic congestion,
ensuring mobility for those with traffic constraints, andimproving driver shortages and reducing costs for logistics
and transportation services. Aiming to realize a society inwhich all people can lead a high quality of life through thewidespread use of automated driving, this research sets thefollowing two objectives and works to evaluate thesocioeconomic impact of automated driving: The first is tofoster social acceptance of automated driving. To promote
the practical application and social diffusion of services andvehicles that utilize automated driving technology in the
future, public understanding of automated driving is aprerequisite. In order to gain public understanding, it isnecessary to quantitatively understand the impact ofautomated driving on people's lives and the Japanese
economy in terms of both utility and potential risk. Second
objective is to contribute to government policy making andcorporate management. For example, it is extremely
important for government and corporate decision-making

Based on those purposes, the research shown in Fig.1 was
conducted in the first project, "Study of socioeconomic
impacts of automated driving including traffic accident
reduction." First, for the purpose of organizing basic
information, the relationship between automated driving
and the 17 goals, and 169 targets of the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) set forth by the United Nations
was organized, and the significance of automated driving forsustainable society was confirmed. Next, a "diffusion
simulation" of automated driving vehicles was conducted touse its outputs as common basic figures when analyzing thesocioeconomic impact of automated driving. Finally,
quantitative analysis of the socioeconomic impact ofautomated driving from three angles were conducted: theimpact on road traffic, the transportation service sector, andthe industrial and social sectors.

Fig.1: Overall Picture of the Research Project

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2) Development of Assessment Methodology for Socioeconomic Impacts of Automated Driving Including Traffic Accident Reduction

In the second half of the project, "Research on assessmentof the impact of automated driving on society and theeconomy and on measures to promote deployment," various
simulation models constructed in the first half of the project
were improved, assumptions were reviewed, and the effectsof various promotion measures were analyzed.
The model developed in the projects has the following
five characteristics, and is able to analyze a wide range ofsocio-economic impacts in a theoretical and consistentmanner:1) Model building combining knowledge of trafficengineering and economics;
2) Common data on the socioeconomic environment(population, GDP, etc.) are used uniformly as simulation
assumptions;
3) Construct a simulation model for the diffusion of
automated vehicles based on microeconomic theory thattakes into account consumers' willingness to pay (WTP)
and the learning effect of production;4) Possible to estimate the diffusion rate of automatedvehicles in response to various diffusion promotion
measures; and5) Utilize the results of diffusion rate estimation as common
data for socioeconomic impact assessment.
Since the main objective of the first half of the project wasto construct a model, an advisory committee involving
academics from a wide range of fields, including engineering,
was established, and the study was conducted based on thediscussions in the study group. On the other hand, since thefinal purpose of the latter half of the project was todisseminate information to the public, the research was
conducted mainly based on the discussions in the Working
Group for Service and Business Implementation. In addition,"Simulation of the diffusion of automated driving vehicles"
and "Consumer choice changes regarding car ownership,use, and mobility" were studied in cooperation with aGerman research institute as part of the Japan-Germany
collaborative research. This Japan-Germany collaborative
research is based on the fact that the Socio-Economic Impact
Assessment was listed as one of projects of the JapanGermany joint research project at the Steering Committee
meeting between the Japanese Cabinet Office and theGerman Federal Ministry of Education and Research in
January 2019, conducted based on "Joint Declaration ofIntent on Japanese - German Cooperation on the Promotionof Research and Development on Automated Driving
Technologies" (January 12, 2019). For more detailed
information on the activities of the Japan-Germany
Cooperative Research, please refer to Section 6 (8) "SocioEconomic Impact" of this report.
In the following, the results of this study were presented,
focusing on the features and concepts of the simulation
model developed in this study.

2

Simulation of diffusion

The S-shaped growth curve model is a model often used
to simulate the diffusion of goods and services.(1)(2) However,when assuming a situation in which several levels of
automated driving coexist, as in this study, it is not
appropriate to simply use the parameters set by such amodel. In addition, the S-shaped growth curve model has anextremely simple structure, making it difficult to use whensimulating the effects of policy measures and OEMs' market
launch measures on the diffusion rate of automated vehicles.
Therefore, in this study, original diffusion simulation model
for passenger cars was decided to be constructed.
When considering the diffusion of automated vehicles,
the timing of introduction of SAE level 1 to 4 has alreadybeen discussed, but the feasibility and timing of theintroduction of SAE level 4 and SAE level 5 automatedvehicles that are capable of automated driving on all generalroads cannot be predicted. Based on these points, thediffusion simulation model in this study is divided into twoparts: a model for estimating the diffusion of automateddriving vehicles up to SAE level 4, for which the timing ofmarket launch can be predicted to some extent; and a modelfor estimating the diffusion of self-driving vehicles(equivalent to SAE level 4/5). The former is a dynamic modelthat captures the diffusion process of automated driving
vehicles while showing the year, and the latter is a static
model that estimates the diffusion rate of self-driving
vehicles in a steady state when self-driving vehicles are
realized.
The dynamic model classifies automated vehicles asshown in Table 1. In the first half of the project, automatedvehicles were classified based on the combination of SAE
levels and feasible roads, but this has been completely revisedin the second half of the project.
The columns in Table 1 indicate the functions of vehicles.
The functions are classified into three major categories: safe
driving support (S), driving support (D), and system driving(A), and then the functions are further classified in terms of
the roads on which the functions can be realized. The lasttwo digits of S20, D20, A25, etc. indicate the year when thefunction is expected to be introduced to the market. On theother hand, the rows in Table 1 indicate the categories ofautomated driving vehicles which are composed of
combinations of the above-mentioned functions. Here, thecategories of automated vehicles are classified into three
types: "driving support vehicles," "limited automatedvehicles," and "advanced automated vehicles." Driving
support vehicles are vehicles that have driving support
functions added to vehicles already on the market (S0 and

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2) Development of Assessment Methodology for Socioeconomic Impacts of Automated Driving Including Traffic Accident Reduction

Table 1: Classification of automated vehicles in the dynamic model
Driving safety assist
S20
S25

D20

ACC, LKAS
ForwardOmnidirectional on national
short distance long distance expressways
and limited
sensing1
sensing2
highways
Without
safety support
functions
Equipped withsafety support
functions only
Driving
supportvehiclesLimitedautomated
vehiclesAdvancedautomated
vehiclesDriving assist
D25
D30
A25
ACC, Lane
Lv.3 onchange assist on ACC, LKAS,
national
national
Lane change expressways
expressways andassist on
and limited
limitedordinary
highways
highways, LKAS
roads
duringon ordinary
congestion
roads

System driving
A35

A30
Lv.3 onnational
expressways
and limited
highways

A40
Lv.4 onnational
Lv.4 onexpressways
national
expressways and limited
and limited highways, Lv.3
on ordinary
highwaysroads

A45
Time ofmarketentry

Lv.4 onordinaryroads

S0

Existing

S1

△

D1
D2
D3
D4
R1
R2
R3
R4
A1
A2
A3

✓

Existing

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓

✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓

✓
✓
✓

✓

✓

✓

✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓

✓
✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓
✓
✓

✓
✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓
✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓
✓

Existing
2025
2025
2030
2025
2030
2030
2030
2035
2040
2045

✓

1. Acceleration control for pedal error, lane departure warning, lane distance warning, AEB for vehicles (short distance in front), AEB for pedestrians, AEB for bicycles crossing the road
2. AEB for vehicles (all-around, long distance), AEB for bicycles (all-around long distance)✓: Equipped △ : Partially equippedS1). Limited automated vehicles are vehicles with SAE level3 functions added to driving support vehicles. Advanced
automated vehicles are limited automated vehicles with SAElevel 4 functions added. For each of these three types, theautomated driving category is set as a combination of feasiblefunctions.
In the static model, on the other hand, two types ofvehicles are set for simulation analysis: automated vehicles
that realize SAE Level 2 on all roads, in which humans are
the main driver of the vehicle, and automated vehicles thatrealize self-driving.
(1) Dynamic model
The dynamic model estimates the number of vehicles ineach of the automated driving categories shown in Table 1
for passenger cars, logistics services (trucks), andtransportation services (e.g. buses) every five years from2025 to 2050. The estimation method differs for each of thethree categories, but this article introduces the estimation
method for passenger cars. The estimation model forpassenger cars has been completely reconstructed following
the review of the automated vehicle categories conducted in
the latter half of the project.
In the simulation for passenger cars, the number of carsneeded in each year is first calculated (A). By subtracting thenumber of remaining cars of the previous year from A, thenumber of new cars in each year is calculated. The
composition of the number of new cars in each year byautomated driving vehicle category is determined by the
consumer's automated driving vehicle category choicemodel shown in Fig.2. In the first step of the selection model,
the composition of new cars in the three groups of "driving
support vehicles," "limited automated vehicles," and"advanced automated vehicles" is determined under theexogenously given price of each category. In the second step,
the composition ratios of each automated driving vehicle
category among the groups selected in the first step aredetermined. The parameters of this model are set by
conducting a consumer's stated-preference survey (Webquestionnaire) targeting approximately 7,500 consumers.
On the other hand, the price of each category of automateddriving vehicles, which is exogenously given to the automatedvehicle category selection model, is determined by theexperience curve effect of production. The experience curve
effect refers to the phenomenon in which an increase incumulative production leads to an improvement inproduction technology and a decrease in production cost.

First step selection
Advancedautomated vehicles

Limitedautomated vehicles

Driving support
vehiclesSecond step selection
D1
Ｄ1

D2
Ｄ2

D3
Ｄ3

D4
Ｄ4

R1

R2

R3

R4

A1

A2

A3

Fig.2: Model of Consumer Choice Behavior Regarding Automated Vehicle
Categories

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2) Development of Assessment Methodology for Socioeconomic Impacts of Automated Driving Including Traffic Accident Reduction

1．
Privately owned manual vehicle
Parking lot

Destination

Privately owned self-driving vehicles
2．
Destination

Parking lot

Automaticparking

3．
Single ride self-driving taxi

Destination

Waiting
4．
Share ride self-driving taxi

Destination

Waiting5．
Public Transportation

StationStationDestination

6．
Walking and/or Biking
Destination

Fig.3: Traffic modes in the statics model(2) Statics model
The static model differs from the dynamic model in thatit only includes passenger vehicles and estimates thestationary state ownership and use of vehicles when selfdriving vehicles (equivalent to level 4/5) are realized.
The model assumes the introduction of self-driving taxis
that use self-driving vehicles as well as share automated taxis
that charge lower fares due to shared rides and can estimate
how the use of each transportation mode is affected byvarious factors such as their fares and waiting times.
This model was constructed using the results of aconsumer preference survey (Web-based questionnaire)
conducted in the "Analysis of the Impact on theTransportation Service Sector" section of "Changes inConsumer Choice Structure Related to Car Ownership, Use,and Mobility. As shown in Fig.3, the survey set up six
transportation modes, and investigated how travel time,
travel cost, and waiting time for dispatch of an automatedtaxi (including share taxis) affect ordinary citizen mode
choice by weekday, holiday, purpose of travel, and travel
distance zone. The static model utilizes as its core thetransportation mode choice model constructed using theresults of this survey.

3

Socioeconomic impact assessment

3.1. Road traffic(1) Traffic accidents reduction
Two analysis methods were developed for the analysis of
the reduction effect of traffic accidents. The first method is

the one used in the first half of the project, in which we
obtained the results of estimates of the effect of the automatedvehicle diffusion on the number of accidents, as well as
fatalities and injuries from by a measure of SIP automateddriving "Visualization of the Traffic Accident Reduction
Effects through Automated Driving and Driving Assistanceproject" and adjusted those using ITARDA traffic accident
macro data. In the measure, the reduction effect of traffic
accidents was estimated using the agent-based simulation
method.
The second method is the one used in the latter half of the
project, which calculates the diffusion rate of driving safety
support functions such as AEB and LKAS from the diffusion
rate estimation results for each category of automatedvehicles, and estimates the traffic accident reduction effectby referring to the accident-avoidance rate for each driving
safety support function set by the Advanced Safety Vehicle(ASV) Promotion Plan Phase 6 Report.(3) Since the accidentavoidance rate in this ASV report was calculated under ideal
conditions, the effect calculated by this method should beunderstood as the accident reduction potential of automateddriving, but it has the advantage of allowing more accident
types to be estimated than the first method.
Whichever method is used, the unique feature of thisstudy is that the monetary value of the traffic accident
reduction effect, including the non-financial losses of thetraffic accident perpetrator, is included.
There are two major differences between active safety
technologies (e.g., safety support systems and automateddriving) and passive safety technologies (e.g., airbag systems)
in terms of benefits to society. First, while both technologies
share the same benefit of "reducing injury to user himself,"

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2) Development of Assessment Methodology for Socioeconomic Impacts of Automated Driving Including Traffic Accident Reduction

active safety technologies also reduce injury to the otherparty to an accident as an additional external economy. The
second difference is that users of active safety technology
also reduce the psychological burden (non-financial loss) of
the perpetrator according to the reduction of bodily injury
to the other party to the accident. The first benefit can be
estimated by using the amount of economic loss per traffic
accident victim obtained from the Cabinet Office survey(4)and the reduction in the number of traffic accident victims
due to the diffusion of automated vehicles. On the other
hand, the second benefit cannot be estimated because there
is no data of "the amount of economic loss of the perpetrator
per victim of a traffic accident." However, the ability to avoid
becoming a perpetrator is extremely important in evaluating
the value of automated driving. For this reason, this study
newly estimated the psychological burden (non-financial
losses) of being a perpetrator monetarily through a webbased questionnaire survey.
This Web-based survey consists of a perpetrator survey
and a victim survey. In the perpetrator survey, the WTP(one- year usage fee) for a device that reduces the probabilityof killing the other party (one person) by 50% (or 90%) due
to his/her own driving error (assuming his/her fault ratio is100%) in a four-wheeled vehicle accident was asked in a
double-bounded dichotomous choice. On the other hand,the victim survey asked about the WTP for a device that
reduces the probability of death by 50% (or 90%) due to theother party's driving error (assuming zero fault) in a fourwheeled vehicle accident. The results of this analysis showedthat the median WTP did not differ significantly between
the perpetrator survey and the victim survey. This study
incorporates the results of this survey into a monetaryvaluation of the traffic accident reduction effect of automateddriving.
(2) Reduction of traffic congestion and CO2 emissions
After setting assumptions on characteristics of automatedvehicles during such as following and free driving behavior,lane change conditions and decisions, and reaction delaytime, etc., traffic simulation on the road was conductedconsidering the diffusion rate of automated vehicles
calculated by the simulation of diffusion (dynamic model).
And the coefficients of a model,(5) in which Electric Vehicles(EV) can be considered, were used to estimate the effect of
reducing traffic congestion and the resulting reduction in
CO2 emissions.
Specifically, the study consists of a two-stage structure;
the first stage is traffic simulation that considers the spreadof automated driving to estimate the intensity of congestion
reduction and CO2 emission reduction; and the second stage
is a nationwide extrapolation.

Traffic simulations were conducted on ordinary way, andtwo-lane/three-lane sections of expressways, mainly
considering the sag areas on expressways. In particular, thethree-lane section was selected because it was the section
where much knowledge was obtained in the "Visualizationof Local Traffic CO2 Emissions" in the first phase of SIP. In
addition, the estimation of the CO2 emission reduction
effect was conducted taking into account the diffusion ofEVs.

3.2. Transportation services sector(1) Ensure mobility for people with transportation
constraints and in areas with inconvenienttransportation such as depopulated areas
In rural areas, services originally provided by businesses
and residents are now being performed by the local
government due to the declining birthrate and aging
population, the exodus of young people to urban areas, andthe deterioration of business management and the resulting
withdrawal of businesses. For example, services such as
traffic safety awareness and publicity and crime prevention
patrols are provided by neighborhood associations andresidents' groups in urban areas but are often provided asadministrative services in rural areas. Such administrative
services require a large amount of labor and expense, but theservices currently provided by the local government are notconsidered highly sustainable because of the growing
shortage of human resources in the local government.
Therefore, one of the most important issues in rural areas is
how to maintain administrative services while saving laborand costs. From the viewpoint of administrative services,
this study examines which fields of application automateddriving technology can be introduced and how it is expected
to be utilized in rural areas, based on the actual usage ofvehicles used for administrative services. In addition, theeffects of the introduction of automated driving technology
and its issues were discussed through dialogue with local
government officials in mountainous areas.
(2) Drivers for logistics services
The number of truck drivers in supply and demand in the
future were estimated under multiple GDP transition
assumptions, and the number of driver shortages in logistics
services was calculated as the difference between the two.
Specifically, firstly the future number of drivers who will
provide logistics services was estimated, using the numberof truck drivers by age group, the percentage of drivers who
continue to work (continuation rate), and the percentage of
new drivers in the younger age group (new driver
employment rate). Next, the number of truck drivers indemand in the future was estimated by obtaining the value

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4.Society with Automated Driving(2) Public Acceptance of Automated Driving
2) Development of Assessment Methodology for Socioeconomic Impacts of Automated Driving Including Traffic Accident Reductionof production and imports by item and by category fromfuture GDP, estimating the volume of freight generatedusing this value of production and imports, and estimating
future freight vehicle transport tonnage and freight vehicle
kilometers traveled.
Based on the results of interviews with experts involvedin the logistics industry, a Level 4 automated vehicle
operation permit scenario for logistics services shown in
Fig.4 was set up, and the amount of driving that can be
replaced by automated operation and the number of drivers
that can be reduced by automated operation were estimated.

25% expressway traffic
coverage case
L4 is available between Tokyo and Nagoya,and between Nagoya and Osaka.
Excluding areas with narrow shoulders suchas the Metropolitan Expressway.
Equivalent to 6.3% of total length ofJapanese expressway.

50% expressway traffic
coverage case
L4 is available on Tokyo-Fukuoka andmajor expressways in Tokyo
metropolitan area.
Equivalent to 17.6% of total length ofJapanese expressway.

75% expressway traffic
coverage case

50% expressway traffic coveragecase (refer to the permitted routes
for double-connected trucks.)

Considering the network, set up an
extended permitted area, including theCentral Highway and other roads.
Equivalent to 34.8% of total length ofJapanese expressway.

Set up with reference to the permittedroutes of double-connected trucks.
Can connect remote areas.
Equivalent to 17.7% of total length ofJapanese expressway.

Fig.4: Level 4 Automated Vehicle Operation Permit Scenarios for Logistics
Services

3.3. Industrial and social sectors(1) The automotive industry and the industry as a whole
due to changes in the automobile ownership structure,etc.
The realization of automated vehicles requires theincorporation of many sensors and software, and the inputs
required for production are different from those of
conventional vehicles. In this study, how changes in thecomponents of automobiles required for automated driving
will affect the automobile industry and the Japanese economy
was analyzed, using an Input Output Table with reference tothe methodology of a previous study(6) on electrically driven
vehicles.
Specifically, first, the components required for automateddriving and the industry sectors for those components wereidentified and estimated the increase in component costs byautomated vehicle category and by input industry sector.
Next, based on this cost information and the number of newvehicles per automated vehicle category obtained from thediffusion simulation (dynamic model), an input coefficient
table for Input Output Table was identified considering thefuture shift to automated driving. Using this input coefficient
table, the impact of the shift to automated driving on the

production value and the number of employees in the"passenger car sector," the "automotive parts and accessories
sector," and all industrial sectors in Japan was analyzed. In
addition, a sensitivity analysis was also conducted when thecost of automation is changed.
(2) Contribution to productivity improvement
To achieve sustainable growth in an era of declining
population, it is necessary to sustainably increase laborproductivity, and technological progress or innovation isimportant for this purpose.
To increase labor productivity, economists believe thateither an increase in the capital equipment ratio (the amountof capital per worker) or an increase in total factor
productivity (TFP) through technological progress andinnovation is necessary. Here, the effect of automated drivingon labor productivity and total factor productivity in theJapanese economy was analyzed. In general, factors that
increase the rate of increase in total factor productivity canbe categorized as improvement in the "quality of capital,""quality of labor," and "management efficiency," etc. The
main factor that increases total factor productivity due toautomated driving is thought to be the quality of capital. As
shown in Section 3.2 (2), "Drivers for logistics services," if
the introduction of SAE Level 4 automated driving makes it
possible to replace drivers who are in short supply with
automated driving, this will indeed correspond to the effectof improvement in the quality of capital. In this study, using
the results in Section 3.2 (2), the increase in labor productivity
and total factor productivity due to the introduction of
automated driving was estimated separately for commercial
use and private use.
On the other hand, an example of "improved management
efficiency" is the use of automated driving cabs for mixed
freight and passenger transport. If institutional conditions
are met and both passenger and freight transportation canbe provided, automated driving cabs will be able to efficiently
transport people and goods in the same vehicle by using an
advanced dispatch system. This would result in an increase
in total factor productivity, mainly due to improved
management efficiency.

4

Conclusion

This paper presented an overview of the "Study of the
impact of automated driving on reducing traffic accidents
and on others" and its successor project, "Research on
assessment of the impact of automated driving on society
and the economy and on measures to promote deployment."
The analysis outlined in Sections 2 and 3 was based on

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2) Development of Assessment Methodology for Socioeconomic Impacts of Automated Driving Including Traffic Accident Reduction

discussions with automobile manufacturers, the logistics
industry, and other related parties, and several dissemination
scenarios were set up and estimated for the purpose of
fostering social acceptance of automated driving, and for use
in corporate management and government policy making.
Although it is difficult to evaluate quantitatively, the"Mobility Business Innovation Contest (M-BIC) 2022"(7) was
held as a co-host event of the SIP-adus Workshop to extract
possible examples of how automated driving change people's
lives and society in the future. In addition, this event wasused to disseminate information about this research projectto the public.
The results of this research will be disseminated to theworld through presentations at international conferences
and meetings, and through submission and publication ininternational journals.
[References]
(1) Litman T., Autonomous Vehicle Implementation Predictions:
Implications for Transport Planning, Victoria Transport Policy
Institute, 2018, https://www.vtpi.org/avip.pdf, (accessed Feb. 02, 2019)(2) Trommer S., V. Kolarova, E. Fraedrich, L. Kröger, B. Kickhöfer, T.
Kuhnimhof, B. Lenz, P. Phleps, Autonomous driving: the impact ofvehicle automation on Mobility Behavior, Institute for mobility
Research,2016,
https://www.ifmo.de/publications.html?t=45(accessed Jun. 25, 2021)(3) "Advanced Safety Vehicle (ASV) Promotion Plan Phase 6 Report" by
the Advanced Safety Vehicle Promotion Study Group, Automobile
Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism,
2021,
https://www.mlit.go.jp/jidosha/anzen/01asv/report06/index.
html, (accessed Aug. 24, 2022)(4) Director General for Policies on Cohesive Society, Cabinet Office,Report of the Research on Economic Analysis on the Damage andLoss of Road Traffic Accidents (2017) (in Japanese), https://www8.cao.
go.jp/koutu/chou-ken/h28/index.html (retrieved May 25, 2021)(5) Mitsuo Yasushi, et al., Navigation System to Predict EV Driving Range,
Pioneer R&D 20, pp. 1-7, 2011.
(6) Takayuki Mase, Impacts of Producing Electrically Driven Vehicles on
Japan’s Industrial Output, Central Research Institute of Electric Power
Industry (SERC Discussion Paper), SERC18001 (2019), https://criepi.
denken.or.jp/jp/serc/discussion/download/18001dp.pdf (in Japanese,
retrieved June 21, 2021).
(7) M-BIC Official Web site 2022, http://webpark5061.sakura.ne.jp/2022/,(accessed Aug. 21, 2022)[Contacts]
Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba,
Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8505, 03-5452-6680, Contact: Shoichi Suzuki

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Society with Automated Driving(2) Public Acceptance of Automated Driving

3) Projects to Foster Public AcceptanceTadashi Hirota (DENTSU MEITETSU COMMUNICATIONS INC.), Hiroshi Kimura (SC-ABEAM AUTOMOTIVE CONSULTING)(Abstract) Japan faces a mountain of issues related to mobility, including lack of transportation options in isolatedareas as the population becomes older as well as a shortage of drivers in the logistics industry. As such, there arerising expectations that social implementation of automated driving technology can solve these issues. One priority
for social implementation is the R&D of automated driving technology and the fostering of public acceptance alongwith constructing the system infrastructure. Therefore, as an activity to foster public acceptance, SIP-adus (Crossministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP) Automated Driving for Universal Services), form its firstphase, have taken efforts to promote proper understanding of automated driving in society through communicationand dialogue related to automated driving with citizens, local government officials, and business operators in the
traffic industry. We also widely shared the activities of local governments and businesses related to social
implementation of automated driving and promoted cooperation across Japan to learn about issues and successful
case examples. This document provides an overview of these activities.
Key words: Public acceptance, citizen, dialogue, region, test ride event, exhibition

1

Information Transmission, Media
Activities, and Videos

1.1. Website construction/operation: SIP-café
Fostering public acceptance of automated driving means
raising awareness and delivering objective and fair information
related to automated driving to a wide range of ordinary
citizens. Based on this concept, we constructed a website as themain pillar to our activities. Construction of this website would
fulfill the role of sharing public information and organizing
content in one place. It also served to ensure that the compiled
information remained there.
The public homepage was named "SIP-café" based on the
motif of a cafe where people and information intermingle inorder to give the general public as a sense of familiarity. (https://
sip-cafe.media)
The top page uses illustrated animation and dynamic
movement to catch the eye. The illustration is based on the ideaof how people’s lives will change after social implementation of
automated driving. However, the illustration has a soft andcomforting tone and color palette to make it easy for the generalpublic to accept. (Fig.1)
At first, the website had 5 categories of pages: "SIP-adus
Information", "Automated Driving News", "Automated Driving
Guide", "Automated Driving Glossary", and "Columns". FromFY 2021, a page for "Automated Driving Journey" was added.
The "SIP-adus Information" page transmit information andtrends of agencies related to SIP-adus, such as events for thegeneral public and FOTs (Field Operational Tests) aimed atcommercial use of automated driving. It functions as
information transmission that is the main purpose of this site.
The "Automated Driving News" is not limited to SIP-adusrelated news, but rather sends a wide-range of information,
including news about safety driving support technology,
automated driving technology, and new vehicles (passenger
cars, trucks, buses) that have adopted this technology.

Fig.1: SIP-café top page image

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The "Automated Driving Guide" and "Automated Driving
Glossery" are pages that explain basic knowledge and terms
related to automated driving. These pages aim to fulfill the roleof "encyclopedia" and "dictionary" to improve literacy amongpeople with no expert knowledge.
The "Columns" aims to stir interest in the automated driving
by publishing easy-to-read articles on this topic.
The "Automated Driving Journey", which was added later, isfor serialized reportages of FOTs carried out at various local
areas in visiting each test sites to give more realistic view to theaccounts.
In terms of these articles, 108 were published in FY2019, 203
in FY2020, 174 in FY2021, and 62 by July 2022 for a total of over
500 articles. These articles receive over 10,000 views a monthand play a role in widely transmitting information.

1.2. Introduction of activities for social implementation and R&D of automated driving on "SIP-caféon Tube"We engaged in activities to deliver information related toefforts for automated driving technology development andsocial implementation by industry, academia and government
to the general public through videos for easier understanding.
In order to make these videos more casually accessible whenever
and wherever viewers in broader generations are, the movies
are made available to the public on the "SIP-café on Tube" inYouTube as video-sharing website. Not only the activities that
SIP-adus had led such as "Memoirs of Automated Driving
Trials", "Citizen Dialogue" and "FOTs in the Tokyo waterfrontarea" to be mentioned below, but also those for development ofrelated technologies and new products by automotive
manufacturers and suppliers have been included in 144 sharedmovies as of the end of August, 2022, as shown in Fig.2.

1.3. Memoirs of Automated Driving Trials
As the number of local governments and businesses
conducting FOTs for social implementation of automateddriving is increasing, we began the "Memoirs of AutomatedFig.2: Test ride Advanced Driving Assistance System report:
Toyota MIRAI Advanced Drive (published June 20, 2022)

Driving Trials" project in FY 2021 that aims to foster public
acceptance of automated driving by grasping realistic issues in
implementation and voices of residents, local governments, andbusiness operators in as many regions as possible andtransmitting this information to a wide range of society.
Specifically, as shown in Table 1, the project interviewed key
persons in each region taking on FOTs for automated driving
and released reports and videos summarizing the results on the
SIP-café website for the SIP-adus. As seen in Figure 3, theseinterviews sought stories of on-the-ground struggles andcreative techniques related to social implementation that could
be a good reference for other regions who attempt to take on
implementation.
Table 1: Automated Driving Journey interview report(as of October 1, 2022)
FY2021 interview report
Higashiomi, Shiga / Automated driving services experience based in "Okueigenji
Keiryu no sato"
Miyama, Fukuoka / Automated driving services based on clean energy andcommunities facilities
Kamikoani, Akita / "Kamikoani" in Akita prefecture establishing automateddriving services
Iinan (Akagi Kogen), Shimane / Automated driving services for children who
hold the key to build the future
Takahata, Yamagata / FOTs of automated driving services in core area in Takahata
town
Chatan, Okinawa / Driving experience in "Mihama Shuttle Cart" early model ofautomated driving services in tourist areas
Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo / FOTs in Nishi-Shinjuku for practical implementation of
automated driving buses in "Future Tokyo" Strategy - 2025
Eiheiji, Fukui / Eiheiji-cho, Fukui prefecture utilized abandoned railway tracks
for "Realization of Mobility Space Services" for level 4 automated driving
Kasugai, Aichi / Automated driving services for comfortable driving and theresolution of issues in Kozoji, Kasugai City New Town
Yokohama, Kanagawa / Can this save Japan !? "C+pod Yokohama" Super compact
EV experience with short-term car rental
FY 2022 interview report
Fujisawa, Kanagawa / FOTs at Shonan i-Park "Future of healthcare MaaS"
Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo / "Future of Tokyo" Strategy - Automated driving FOTs forinfrastructure cooperation by Taisei Corporation, and others.
Nasushiobara, Tochigi / "Unprecedentedly elaborated planning" - Uniqueinitiative for automated buses in Tochigi prefecture

1.4. Up-to-date current status report (webinar) on
technology for automated driving implementation: Technology seminar
In order to foster public acceptance, it is ultimately necessary
to enhance literacy and recognition by general consumers.
However, it is difficult to achieve this directly. As of now,
activities to foster public acceptance have been developed
targeting "early adaptors" as called in marketing.
In order for a new system like automated driving to beestablished in society, there are not only technological themes
but also various surrounding issues that can be considered. We
designed and conducted technological seminars to generate
opportunities for early adopters to learn about the status ofthese issues and what solutions are being developed to addressthem.
The first seminar was based on the theme of "issues with

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自動運転見聞録“類を見ない計画性”ユニークな栃木県の自動運転バスの取り組み
2025年度の本格導入に向けて，県，市町，事業者が一体となって進めている地域がある．栃木県だ．どのような考え方なのか，ロードマップ，全体計画，組織などの詳細について，
栃木県県土整備部交通政策課 主査 安生真人氏，那須塩原市市民生活部生活課 課長 鈴木正宏氏，那須塩原市市
民生活部生活課交通対策係 主査 山田慎太郎氏，那須塩原市市民生活部生活課交通対策係 主査 平野純氏に聞いた．

are expected to be generated by the sharing, linking, andutilization of a wide range of data corresponding with the
popularization of connected cars. The speakers were Mr. Matsui
of Sumitomo Rubber Industries and Mr. Iso of NTT Data.

1.5. Awareness of relationship between visual field
loss and driving through "visual field loss webinar"
We held a total of three webinars in FY 2021 regarding therelationship between driving and visual field loss, which isn’t
widely known, and the expected contributions of automateddriving and advanced driving assistance technology. We invitedresearchers and specialists in this field to the webinars and took
efforts to raise awareness of these issues.
◼Session 1 (July 8, 2021)
Theme: "Crossing of visual field loss and automated driving"
Overview of discussion: The discussion was carried out onthemes such as: What is visual field loss? What is the impact on
driving? What future initiatives are needed as social issues to
respond to demands of general drivers.

県下でのノウハウ共有のために
楠田 栃木県ABCプロジェクトとは何ですか？
栃木県 自動運転システム（Autonomous）の「A」，路線バス（Bus）の「B」，挑戦（Challenge）の「C」の頭文字からとっています．
「無人自動運転移動サービス導入検証事業」のことで，県民が親しみやすいように命名しました．

Fig.3: Automated Driving Journey:
Activities for automated bus in Tochigi prefecture(Published July 27, 2022)

responsibilities during automated driving." It presented a legal
perspective based on criminal responsibility, ethical issues, andkey issues in the Road Traffic Act, which was revised in April
2020. The speakers were Mr. Makino of the National Police
Agency and Professor Imai of Hosei University.
The second was taken place with the theme "HMI andoverconfidence of drivers" to explain how drivers should
communicate with evolving technologies, how much theautomated technology can understand drivers' intent, and how
vehicles can be in the next generation. Mr. Hiraoka as speciallyappointed professor from the university of Tokyo and Mr.
Tochioka of Mazda motor corporation.
The third seminar focused on "software updates andcybersecurity." It explained environmental changes, importance,
issues, and initiatives surrounding software updates, andcorresponding cybersecurity issues. The speakers were Mr.
Asahi of Toyota motor corporation and Mr. Niikuni of the
National Traffic Safety and Environment Laboratoty.
The fourth seminar was based on the theme of "cooperative
areas of data provision and effective usage of mobility data." It
was a lecture on cutting-edge data utilization as new services◼Session 2 (September 2, 2021)
Theme: "Driver’s licenses and visual field loss - Consideringdriving and employment of disabled persons"
Overview of discussion: Introducing cases of companies thathave already begun efforts to support employees with visual
field loss, the discussion was proceeded for the themes such as
how the driving licenses framework should be based on thevisual field loss and the techniques demanded of companies
related to employees with visual field loss, as shown Fig.4.
◼ Session 3 (January 11, 2022)
Theme: "Visual field loss and driving assistance system Current and future technology-"
Overview of discussion: Studies to extend driving life
expectations, and development status of technologies for

第2回 視野障害について考えるSIP-adusウェビナー「運転免許と視野障害〜有病者の運転と就労を考える」

質疑応答〈視聴者の皆様からのQ&A〉

Fig.4: Discussion at No. 2 visual field loss webinar

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4.Society with Automated Driving(2) Public Acceptance of Automated Driving
3) Projects to Foster Public Acceptancepreventive safety, driving assistance and automated driving
were introduced. The panel discussion in the second half of theevent was focused on expectations and issues from users' view
points.

1.6. Reaching a wide-range of generations through"Automated driving LIVE News"In FY 2022, "Automated driving LIVE News" was held tentimes (expected as of end-August, 2022) as a monthly live show
about hot topics related to automated driving. In FY 2022, as
the final year of the SIP-adus, we have kept working to create
and operate contents more attractive for general users andyounger generation to enlarge the number of viewers including
the generation Z who will be the leader of the future mobility
society, for a successful conclusion of the project.
◼ Program 1 (May 6, 2022)
Theme: "A world where towns, roads, and cars talk together- Infrastructure cooperated traffic system with automateddriving"
Overview of discussion: Following experts' session to
introduce governmental policies and latest FOTs activities
related to technologies supporting automated driving such as
infrastructure cooperation technologies and communication
technologies, a talk session with younger generations was
carried out.
◼Program 2 (July 4, 2022)
Theme: "Future to be realized by mobility data plus
something - Road traffic environment data web portal, MD
communet®, and Activities taken place in Kyoto"
Overview of discussion: The discussion was carried out
following introduction of MD communet, which is a web portal
opened to the public in April 2022 to promote matching
between users and creation of new business with shared
information, as well as "KYOTO Raku Mobi contest," which is a
new app idea contest to solve mobility issues and tourist-relatedtransport issues in Kyoto.
◼ Program 3 (July 21, 2022)
Theme: "Facing mobility for elderly relatives – Elderly
第3回 自動運転Liveニュース「高齢家族の移動と向き合う─視野障害や認知機能低下にみらDriving Issues due to visual field loss and cognitive decline -"Overview of discussion: The experts talked about accounts
related to "visual field loss and car driving", including measurestaken through driving behaviors, importance of early detection,
possibility of driving assistance with technologies, and also
efforts for elderly driving issue, then the discussion followed
this as shown in Fig.5.

2

Exhibition/Symposiums

2.1. Dialogues with residents through "Citizen Dialogues"
As shown in Table 2, from FY 2017 we conducted "Citizen
Dialogues" to provide a place for dialogue aimed at exchange of
opinions with citizens and promotion of understanding forsocial implementation of vehicles and services that utilize
automated driving technology. Citizens of all ages and genders
participated in these dialogues, as well as various stakeholders
such as public transportation business representatives,
academics, and public officials as discussions were held basedon richly diverse perspectives. From FY 2020, in considerationof the COVID-19 infection prevention measures, the discussion
and Q&A with listeners occurred online using online
conferencing systems. Also, at end-FY 2020, as an interim
report for the past activities as seen in Fig.6, we invited persons
Table 2: List of Citizen Dialogues (as of October 1, 2022)
Fiscal year
Format
FY2017
Symposium
Symposium
FY2018FY2019FY2020

FY2021
FY2022

Symposium

Event location
Koto Ward, Tokyo (Tokyo Motor Show)
Institute of Industrial Science, The Universityof Tokyo
Koto Ward, Tokyo (Tokyo International
Exchange Hall)

Citizen dialogue

Shodoshima, Kagawa prefecture

Symposium

Koto Ward, Tokyo (TFT Hall)

Citizen dialogue
Symposium
Citizen dialogue(online)Regional AutomatedDriving Summit(hybrid event)
Citizen dialogue(online)Citizen dialogue(hybrid event)Ina City, Nagano prefecture
Koto Ward, Tokyo (Tokyo Motor Show)
Maebashi City, Gunma prefecture
Local governments across Japan (Kamikoani,
Akita prefecture, Eiheiji-cho, Fukui
prefecture, Chatan, Okinawa prefecture, etc.)
Yokohama City, Kanagawa prefecture
Tochigi prefecture (*)*Prefecture organized FOTs at its 10 cities and towns.

Fig.5: Discussions at Automated Driving LIVE News No. 3
Fig.6: Discussions at Regional Automated Driving Summit(held March 25, 2021) held

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4.Society with Automated Driving(2) Public Acceptance of Automated Driving
3) Projects to Foster Public Acceptancefrom local governments, traffic businesses, and startup
businesses from across the country who are engaged in FOTs
for automated vehicles, shared their activities, and held a "local
automated driving summit" to discuss issues.
For the discussion, we used a graphic recording to do
visualization that anyone could intuitively understand, publish
on websites such as SIP-café, etc., and share with local
governments in venue areas so that the information could be
used widely in public awareness activities for citizens even after
the event. (Fig.7)
グループディスカッション②

これからのまちや移動の理想像と自動運転

グループ A

戦略的イノベーションプログラム（SIP） 自動運転

市民ダイアログ 群馬県前橋市

Fig.7: Maebashi citizen dialogues (held on January 17, 2021)
graphic recording results

2.2. Share the achievement of the program: Joint testride events
For fostering social acceptance, as one of our efforts to makemedia interested in automated driving, we consider that it isimportant to offer a test ride opportunity to ride on automateddriving for media reporters and journalists. In the second phaseof SIP-adus, we originally planned a test-ride event andexhibition with the cooperation of the Japan Automobile
Manufacturers Association (JAMA) and support of OEM
companies on the Tokyo waterfront city area where the Olympic
and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 would be held. But, under
the COVID19 pandemic, as the games were postponed, ourevent was also rescheduled to 2021. On the other hand, though
the test-ride and exhibition were originally considered as just
one-time event, for social circumstance declining directcommunication opportunities but increasing importance ofcommunication through media, we eventually have a plan evenfor third event aiming for further appeal to media reporters andjournalists.
This plan change was started from cancelation ofcollaboration with JAMA then followed by ask each of
automobile manufacturers to provide exhibits to the event
which wiill be organized only by SIP-adus. Under thecircumstances in which various events where automobile
manufacturers comme together, such as Tokyo motor show,
were cancelled, we aimed to offer a place worth publicly
reporting as an event attracting automotive manufacturers,
suplliers, software develop companies and universities.
The first joint test ride event was held on April 20-21, 2021 in

one part of the parking lot of Ooedo Onsen Monogatari, a hot
springs facility in the heart of the Tokyo waterfront area.
Targeting media and journalists, we encouraged media coverage
by information releases to media companies and public notices
for the Automobile Journalists Association of Japan.
The exhibitors were consited of 8 organisations such as
Valeo, Kanazawa University, Subaru, Tier IV, Toyota, Nissan,
Honda, showing the total of 18 vehicles as test-ride vehicles andexhibits on the venue. And also asking support to TOYOTA
Motor Corporation and HINO motors as participant to the
FOTs in the Tokyo waterfront area, their automated bus basedon "SORA" with fuel cell were carried in to the venue to exhibit.
At the time, there were concerns about trends in COVID-19
infections. However, thankfully, infections had dropped aroundthe time of the event and it went smoothly by adapting infection
countermeasures at the venue and confirming with emergency
contacts.
The number of the visitors from media and journalists were
the total of 106 in 2 days event with test-ride schedule fully
reserved. As the ride to the commercial vehicles by automatedmakers had attracted many people under the condition of 90
minutes ride per trip, meaning only 5 trips maximum in a day,we struggled to make orders for them in advance.
As unexpected event, Mr. Shinji Inoue, as then Minister ofState for Science and Technology Policy of Cabinet Office cameto and walk around the venue to see and talked with exhibitors
at each of their booth.
The rating by reporters and journalists are good overall withcomments such as: "it was helpful to well understanddevelopment policies and originality of each exhibitor inseamlessly switching the test-ride vehicles to ride and evaluate,""it was good occasion to make access to automated technologies
developed by suppliers," "the event showed realistic image withnot only test vehicles but also latest model of vehicles already inthe market equipped with automated technology." This gave us
confidence to the result of the event as meaningful effort.
In addition to being broadcast on Nihon TV and TV Asahi,
it was also picked up by online news outlets like the Kyodo
News and Nikkei xTECH, creating opportunities for a wide

Fig.8: Commemorative photo at first event venue

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range of consumers to be exposed to the information. (Fig.8)
The second event was held for three days from 18 to 20
October, 2021 at the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal andits second parking lot, along with nearby Aomi F1-S zone. The
19th and 20th were for media as we did at the previous event,and the 18th as the first day of the event was reserved for SIPadus members who came to the venue for the occasion of theirregular meetings exceptionally scheduled to be held there forthis test-ride.
The timing of the event was settled to position the event as
an activity to open a new season with FOTs in the Tokyo
waterfront area from November 2021. And also following theamendment to the Road Traffic Act/Road Transport Vehicle
Act in April, the month of November, when the AEB installation
was made compulsory for new vehicles in accordance with the
newly adapted WP29 regulation ahead of the world, was thebest timing to appeal "the global leading Japanese safetyphilosophy" to the world.
There were nine companies who participated in the
exhibition: Suzuki, Daihatsu, Toyota, Nissan, Honda,
Continental, Valeo, Tier IV, and BMW for a total of 20 vehicles
as the test-ride vehicles and exhibits. (Fig.9)

Fig.9: Commemorative photo at second even

Also in the Aomi F1-S Zone venue, a press room wasintroduced for the convenience of media reporters andjournalists when taking a break or refreshments, as well as forbriefing held twice a day for the first time. The one-hour briefing
was for presentations on SIP-adus and seminars about newly
standardized AEB (Automatic Emergency Breaking)installation and legislative trends by officials from relevant
department of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport
and Tourism, invited for the event.
Further, as another new attempt, we established a visual field
loss experience area in the press room for visitors to experiencevisual field loss by a driving simulator during their free time
between test rides and briefings.
An exhibition with experience of AEB and pedal
misapplication prevention system was also new in the event. A

rather large space of 70m x 18m was reserved for this exhibition
to experience the pedal misapplication prevention system by
Toyota and the AEB systems by Suzuki and Daihatsu. (Fig.10)

Fig.10: Test-ride on vehicle with AEB

The total of 104 reporters and journalists came together inthe two days for press, and the event was featured in articles by
24 publishers including online car magazines such as "ahead"and "cliccar", and "IT media Web" as online business magazine
among others.
The third test-ride event was held for three days fromThursday 29 September to Saturday 1 October, 2022 at Aomi R
zone in the Tokyo waterfront city area. As conclusion andtransition of activities of the second phase of SIP-adus, theevent was planned and carried out under the theme "Japantakes a global leadership role of traffic safety in the new cohesivesociety with inclusion and respectful diversity"
The Saturday event was planned to attract a generation ofundergraduate and graduate students, who represent thegeneral public and will be leaders of the society when theautomated driving technologies are commercialized..
The exhibits and explanatory sessions by the event organizer
were more enhanced than before, with the core exhibits by JARI
(Japan Automobile Research Institute) who is working on
creation of a real place for the performance evaluation and by
DIVP® of a virtual space, associated with other exhibits for V2N
that had been studied at the Tokyo waterfront area and those by
HIDO (Highway Industry Development Organization) who
lead FOTs in rural areas. These were closed by offeringsomething useful even only through watching and talking
together at the venue, other than test-ride experience.

2.3. Show achievements of research activities: Results presentation event and magazine book(tentative)
As mentioned in previous sections about the test-ride events,
we had preliminary plan to carry out an event at the Tokyo
waterfront city area, one of the venues of the Olympic and
Parlympic games Tokyo 2020. Other than test-ride event, we

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had a plan to show achievements made through the second
phase of SIP-adus. This was realized in March 2021 as "theShowcase of SIP automated driving changing the future - theinterim results presentation event of the second phase of SIPadus"This was to demonstrate latest status of researches proceededby SIP-adus for practical implementation of automated driving
in an easy to understand manner, and to offer opportunities tofeel current environment where these achievements werematerialized. For these, we started from organizing andcategorizing each of researches then worked to define story
structure of the exhibition. As a result of this, five major themed
areas were settled.
"Welcome Zone (Society5.0 and automated driving)" as theentrance showed the future society concept with Society5.0
through realization of automated driving society and introduced
outline of SIP-adus activities, along with a message video from
Mr. Kuzumaki, the program director of SIP-adus, projected ona large screen.
"01 Technologies to realize automated driving society" wasmainly for exhibits on studies of cutting-edge technologies
related to automated driving, such as studies at the Tokyo
waterfront are to generate traffic environment information for
infrastructure-cooperated automated driving, those to create
virtual environment for automated driving safety evaluation,
and also research studies on Intrusion Detection System (IDS)
against cyberattack. In this area, test vehicles used throughstudies and a symbolic exhibit with a large display to offer easyto-understand description on the FOTs at the Tokyo waterfrontarea, such exibits helped visitors to deepen their understanding
with arosed interests to the technologies.
The zone "02 Social implementation of automated driving"
had exhibits on FOTs for social implementation of automateddriving mobility services in depopulating rural areas andstudies for sustainable business models of such services, andalso exhibits concerning to creation of MD CommunetⓇ, a web
portal for future multi-purpose use of geographic data linked totransportation environment with broadly adapted automateddriving. A golf cart-type automated vehicle used in rural area
FOTs was displayed together with a movie on studies carriedout in remote areas to facilitate understanding like other zones.
In the zone "03 Automated driving familiar to people", theexhibits related to the society in which all the people can movearound safely and securely, introducing studies on knowledges
to learn and effective education methods about automatedvehicles and popularizing driver-assistance vehicles, as well as
studies on effectiveness of advanced driving assistance systemfor people with visual field loss.
Lastly, "04 SIP-adus keeping an eye toward the society" wasfocused on communication activities promoted by SIP-adus torealize automated driving society and other efforts to enhanceindustry-academia-government collaboration and global

cooperation.

Fig.11: Exhibitions

We introduced 4 key pillars: i) generation and transmissionof transport environment information, ii) establishment of
virtual environment for safety evaluation, iii) creation ofevaluation method for cybersecurity (IDS), iv) development of
web portal for geographic data distribution. Also technologicaldevelopments for generation and transmission of transport
environment information such as merging assistanceinformation, traffic information utilized vehicle probe data andothers were shown along with activities such as FOTs in theTokyo waterfront area and in rural area for automated driving
services, and others to disseminate social acceptance and tostrengthen international cooperation.
As shown in Fig.11, we deployed various exhibits such as
actual vehicles and equipment, explainer videos, and others tofacilitate understanding and access to information incomplementing figures and descriptions on walls, while
exhibitors gave explanation of details of their activities tocommunicate with visitors as two-ways exhibitions. In Fig.12, it
is shown that the venue guided tour of around 50 minutes wereorganized. A party of ten visitors could visit each zone with aguide who assists visitors to communicate with exhibitors anddeepen their understanding.
As the event was taken place under COVID-19 pandemic,
we applied infection prevention measures in the venue,
requesting visitors to indicate their contact information, tosanitize hands, and also to check their body temperature, while
always controlling the number of visitors inside the venue.
Further, for companies and individuals who might hesitate tovisit the venue, we created a website with 3D virtual venue
walkthrough. All wall graphics, texts, videos displayed in thevenue were accessible online. Online guided tours were alsoavailable on the web as "virtual guided tour", which enabledonline visitors to watch the venue and to communicate withexhibitors on the venue through a web meeting system. (Fig.12)
On the website, we applied various measures to encourage

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4.Society with Automated Driving(2) Public Acceptance of Automated Driving
3) Projects to Foster Public Acceptanceonline participation, making TV show-style video with hosts
walking through and showing the venue, and adapting live
streaming camera moving around the venue in regular basis totransmit online atmosphere of the actual venue. These measuresagainst COVID-19 pandemic are considered as effective evenafter the pandemic for remote participation.

3

Conclusion

Many citizens had viewed or taken part to the events
described above, of which the articles were published by many
medias. We can say that this contributed to foster public
acceptance of automated driving to a certain extent. On theother hand, fostering public acceptance can be completed not
only by SIP-adus activities, but also by continuous effort to beproceeded by researchers and experts for the future as theirissue. Relationship between our-own lifestyle and mobility
must be always thought by each of us as citizens to take actions,considering how automated driving can contribute and give
impact to this relationship. Based on these reflections, we aregoing to enumerate what should be put importance even after
the program to foster public acceptance as we found throughthe SIP-adus activities.

3.1. Expand accessibility by utilizing digital media
Fig.12: Scene of guided tour

A total of 1,097 people participated to the event at the venue
and online. As getting media coverage, articles on the event
were published by Response., cliccar, carview!, Nikkan Kogyo
Shimbun, NEXT MOBILITY, Yahoo! News, and others. Also
visit by researchers and SIP-adus related persons encouraged
mutual communication among them as did so exchange ofexhibitors.
We are preparing "Final results presentation event", as of thetiming of writing of this article, to hold in around March 2023
as the end of the second phase of SIP-adus. This must be aculmination of SIP-adus activities, as we keep this in mind toplan the event. A book as a collection of overall SIP-adus
activities, in progress as of this timing, will be also publishedand distributed at the event venue.
An objective of publication of the book is to review SIP-adus
activities as a project which have led its roll and purpose toachievements in reality, then to clarify what derived theachievements, which would broadly help people who want toinnovate to find a hint. Another is to structuralize whole of the
project as a successful case of effective collaboration amongindustry, academia and government or ministries and agencies
by strong will of "individuals" who aim to achieve something.
We have selected and structuralized topics among events of SIPadus and its related industries in and outside of Japan from prestarting of SIP-adus to FY 2022, then interviewed key persons who
led major topics in ministries and agencies, companies oruniversities. Based of this, we are going to make a story to beremained in telling how the ideological backbone of the program
have been developed over the period of two phases of SIP-adus.

SIP-café, which was inaugurated with a concept of
information transmission essential to foster public acceptance,
contributed to enhance communication on automated driving
offering space to collect, transmit and amass information, as we
recognize. On this website, we effectively transmitted
information in taking advantage of digital media, which enabled
us to make articles public in short-time after getting information
with many photos or link to videos.
Further, because of COVID-19 pandemic not only in Japanbut also outside Japan since around spring 2020, we needed toshift to online activities building even in this project utilizing
digital media. For example, communication events such as"Citizen Dialogue", "Automated driving LIVE News", andwebinars, or exhibitions for result presentation events, these
events were carried out using digital distribution system or on
hybrid meeting style of in-person and remote attendees. Digital
media enabled us to provide event experiences for remoteattendees which are not so far from those in real venue. Like
this, acquiring new contact point to participants as "remote
viewing", we were able to provide an entrance to automateddriving for people who had difficulties to attend to in-person
event as we've done. This can be said one of contributions
toward fostering public acceptance.

3.2. Deliberations as "one team" - the entire community uniting as one
What we found through activities mentioned above such as"Memoirs of Automated Driving Trials" and "Citizen Dialogue/
Regional Automated Driving Summit", that a key is "one team"of whole local stake holders, while citizens understand mobility
issues in their town as their own problem, they cooperate with

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4.Society with Automated Driving(2) Public Acceptance of Automated Driving
3) Projects to Foster Public Acceptancelocal government and business operators to talk about anddiscuss together how mobility in their own town should be,then through implementation of such services, all participants
continuously take part to improvement of this in checking
operation. In contrast to ready-made or government-mademobility service provided to citizens, what we discovered was"best practice" with co-realization of ideal mobility to improve
quality of life in community, with more engaged citizens as aresult of construction and continuous use of a system in whichcitizens can voice their opinion about local mobility services as
involved member. Technological development and institutionalframework are indispensable to realize social implementationof automated driving, but as mentioned above, frankcommunication among citizens, local government and business
operators must be sustained as system to make sustainable local
mobility service more realistic.
[Contacts]
DENTSU MEITETSU COMMUNICATIONS INC.104-0061, Ginza, Chuo Ward,
Tokyo, 2-16-7, Kosan No. 1 Building 4F, 03-5565-4331, Contact: Tadashi Hirota (t.
hirota@dmc.dentsu.co.jp)
SC-ABeam Automotive Consulting, 2-3-2 Otemachi Place East Tower, Otemachi,
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8601, 03-6285-4600, Contact: Hiroshi Kimura (kimura@sc-abeam.com)

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4Society with Automated Driving(2) Public Acceptance of Automated Driving

4) Research for Automated Driving Bus
Friendly to Persons with Disabilities or
Reduced Mobility and Orientation
Keiji Adachi, Soichiro Shibata, Ai Ikenaga, Ryo Tachikawa (NTT DATA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT CONSULTING, Inc.)(Abstract) Our aim is to realize a "Cohesive Society" in which people with disabilities, who until now have not necessarily
been able to fully participate, can actively participate and contribute to society. In the 1990s, Low-floor busses appearedon the market, and measures such as electric ramps for wheelchair access have been studied. In the near future,
automated driving is expected to reduce traffic accidents and ease traffic congestion. Even in a world where automatedbuses are widely used, however, it is necessary to aim for automated buses that can be used by people with disabilities
or reduced mobility and orientation including elderlies, rather than simply leaving them behind. We therefore conducteda research to identify design requirements and considerations in order to achieve such automated buses. The research
was conducted basically with participation of people with such reduced mobility, including behavioral observation ofparticipants and bus drivers when they have troubles and a review meeting after making and testing mockups. As aresult, as recognized problems, something related to getting in and off the bus, locking the wheel chair, among others arereported. For these, we clarified requirements and considerations necessary to implement and put into practical use
devices such as automatic ramp, wheelchair locking devices, and others
Keywords: Automated driving buses friendly to road users with limited mobility, inclusive society, people with disabilities, barrierfree, participation of users

1

Study Overview

1.1. Background and objectives
Buses are an important means of transportation for people
with limited mobility, such as people with disabilities, theelderly, and people using baby strollers (hereinafter referred toas "road users with limited mobility"). In the early 1990s, buses
equipped with wheelchair lifts were studied,(1) and in the late
1990s, low-floor busses were introduced by various
manufacturers. At that time, low-floor busses were a fully-flat
type with no steps inside at all, and some were equipped with anelectric ramp for wheelchairs, but their high price and small
number of seats prevented their wide acceptance.(2)In response, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport
and Tourism established standard specifications(3) and acertification system(4) for low-floor busses, with the aim of
reducing their manufacturing costs and promoting their safety
and convenience. The standard specifications have continued tobe revised to make buses more friendly to road users withlimited mobility.(5)In regard to the SIP-adus (Cross-ministerial Strategic
Innovation Promotion Program (SIP) Automated Driving for
Universal Services), it is also stated that one goal is to realize asociety in which mobility of road users with limited mobility isensured and all people have a higher quality of life.
Therefore, after researching and analyzing the needs of road
users with limited mobility as well as domestic and international
trends, we conducted a study with the aim of formulating
implementation requirements and considerations concerning
the interior layout of automated buses which road users withlimited mobility can use more freely.

1.2. Research methodology
Through interviews with and behavioral observations ofroad users with limited mobility, we collected and organized
the value of using buses and the problems with using buses foreach type of road users with limited mobility. Based on the
results, ideas for bus layout were discussed in expert interviews
and workshops. Some of the ideas were then developed into a
bus mockup, virtual reality (VR), and illustrations, and a review
meeting was held (Fig.1), so that road users with limited
mobility and experts can test these ideas.
Based on the feedback obtained thought the review meeting,a report "design requirements and considerations" wascompiled. A study committee consisted of road users of limited
mobilities and experts from bus and other related industry
groups was established to provide advice on the overall study.
This report describes the requirements for each design, the

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Fig.1: A review meeting(Left: VR evaluation (cane and short leg orthosis user);right: mock-up evaluation (low vision)

feedback obtained from bus operators and participants to theresearch, and the specific requirements and considerations
based on said feedback.

2

Summary of problems

Based on the interviews and behavioral observations of theroad users with limited mobility and experts as mentioned
above, we extracted the problems for each type of mobility
limitation when road users with limited mobility take a bus andthose for bus operators. The details are shown in Table 1.

During the interviews, we asked not only about the problems
faced when using the bus, but also about the value of using thebus for road users with limited mobility. We found that using
the bus has two primary values: as a valuable means to getaround during daily life, and as a gateway to the world to expand
their range of activities. The following is a partial list of ideas
brushed up after obtained through the review meeting, out of
all ideas discussed based on the above mentioned problems andvalues.

3

Design requirements and considerations

3.1. Automatic ramps
3.1.1. Overview
When wheelchair users get on and off the bus, the driver has
to manually move the ramp in and out, which takes time. The
installation of an automatic ramp that can be moved in and out
at the touch of a button (Fig.2) would solve these problems.

Table 1: Road users with limited mobility and bus drivers' problems when using buses (extract)
Classification

Description of problems when using buses
Wheelchair users feel bad for other passengers when the driver takes time to set up a ramp and tosecure the wheelchair for their getting on and off the bus, so they hesitated to do so.
Electric wheelchair users
Securing a wheelchair next to the current folding seats narrows the aisle.
Scared of sudden stops and centrifugal forces when taking a curve.
PhysicallyDifficulties getting on and off the bus when there is a gap between the ground and the floor of the bus.
handicapped
Users with canes andSometimes feels rushed because they have to secure their brace before the bus even stops.
personshort leg orthosis
Narrow space in front of the seat does not allow legs to stretch out to unfasten the brace.
Sometimes difficult to press the stop button because their fingers aren't strong enough.
Upper limb disability
Hard to hold on to the railing when they also have luggage.
users
Difficult to prepare fare payments etc. without sitting down.
Difficult to find a bus stop if there are no braille blocks.
Blind white cane users
Unsure if the reason for the bus stopping is because of arrival at a bus stop or just due to a red light.
Confusion due to different buses, such as forward doors, rear doors, pre-payment, post-payment, etc.
Hard to find a seat when it's crowded. Feel bad about asking others to give up their seats.
Visually
Blind guide dog users
Don't know where to stand without disturbing other passengers.
impaired users
Not knowing where the stop button etc. is located, having to grope around for the location.
Unable to see which seats are available.
Especially in the evening, it is difficult to press the stop button because of the similar colors of the
Low vision users
button and the handrail.
Unable to tell if this is a bus to desired destination.
Unsure if the reason for the bus stopping is because of arrival at a bus stop or just due to a red light.
Deaf users
Rely on displays for information, but it's hard to see when sitting toward the back.
Unable to hear sounds, so unable to tell if IC card payment has succeeded.
Hearingimpaired users
Unable to prepare for alighting without knowing the time and distance to the next bus stop.
Hard-of-hearing users
Hard to hear announcements.
Difficult to get information to understand an emergency situation.
Don't know what to do when the display and the actual bus stops are out of sync.
Confused by and unable to cope with changes in boarding methods, such as different doorway
Intellectual/developmental disability users
locations.
No ruby characters provided for kanji characters, so stop signs, etc. are unreadable.
If they feel sick, it is considered bad manners to lie down and rest in the bus, so they get off the bus to
Mentally challenged users
rest, but don't know where they can rest.
Announcements are psychologically taxing, with fast voices, mechanical noises, and loud noises.
Hard to hear announcements.
Difficult to get on and off the bus when there are steps. Also, the swaying of the bus makes them feelElderly users
unsteady.
Can panic because it takes a long time to get off the bus. Standing up before the bus stops leads toaccidents involving falling over.
Unaware of a dedicated space for strollers. Never seen anyone using it.
Baby stroller users
Can panic because they cannot sit down or get off quickly enough due to carrying the stroller or dealing
with their child. Feel apologetic to the people around them.
Many accidents involve passengers standing up and falling before arriving at the bus stop, making thedriver feel uneasy during driving.
Panic because it takes so much time to fold the seats, secure wheelchairs, and deploy the ramp. Many
Bus drivers
people are reluctant to use wheelchair safety belts, which is dangerous.
Announcements and responses to passenger inquiries can be made while the bus is stopped, allowing
the driver to concentrate on driving.

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passengers. Since the automatic ramp is effective not only forwheelchair users but also for the elderly, and because it may
cause confusion when a driver or a system has to make adecision each time whether or not to extend the automatic
ramp, it is desirable to extend the ramp for all passengers.
(2) Improvements to bus stops (boarding and alighting areas)
The standards for facilitating mobility require that bus stop
areas are designed to allow wheelchair users to smoothly board
and alight from the buses that stop adjacent to the areasIn
reality, however, physical constraints result in bus stops without
sidewalks or on sloping roads due to drainage ditches. In orderfor the use of automatic ramps to spread, it is necessary to
improve bus stops so that automatic ramps can land on stableground.

Fig.2: Image of automatic ramp

3.1.2. Feedback obtained from bus operators andresearch participants, etc.
While some people said that the reduction of time requiredfor deployment of the ramp was an advantage, others said thatthe slope of the ramp could be concern and that visual andauditory information was necessary when deploying theequipment.

3.1.3. Examples of specific requirements(1) Make the slope more gradualThis is because someone on the bus, not bus conductor,
possibly need to support the wheel chair users when bus isautomated without any conductors in the future.

3.2. Simple folding seats
3.2.1. Overview
When wheelchair users get on and off the bus, the driverneeds to fold the foldable seats, which takes up additional time.
Because of the time required, some wheelchair users havecommented that they feel apologetic toward the otherpassengers and the driver. Both the drivers and the wheelchairusers feel the need for improvements.
The simplicity of the folding seats (Fig.3) creates spacewithin the bus, making it easier for wheelchairs and strollers to
get on and off.

(2) Automatic ramp deployment/retraction with sound andlightsThis is especially required for the visually or hearing
impaired, who may not otherwise know whether the automatic
ramp is completely deployed or not yet.
(3) Slope formed with a single board
If the automatic ramp is stacked in two layers, wheelchairs
may get stuck on the step in the middle of the ramp.
(4) Add roughness on the slope surface to an extent that will
not interfere with walking
For the visually impaired, getting on and off the bus bymeans of a ramp, instead of the present situation of getting on
and off by means of steps, would otherwise make it difficult forthem to distinguish the boundary between the inside and theoutside of the bus.

3.1.4. Considerations(1) Operational industry guidelines for automatic ramp useneed to be created
In order to use automatic ramps safely, it is necessary toestablish operational industry guidelines for whether automatic
ramps should be deployed for all passengers or only for specificFig.3: Image of a simple folding seat

3.2.2. Feedback obtained from operators, concerned
parties, etc.
While some commented that these seats provide both spaceand seating as required and are easy for wheelchairs and stroller
users to use, some of the participants commented that it wasdifficult to find a seat for a person with white cane, and difficult
to sit on a folding seat while holding it down with their hands.

3.2.3. Examples of specific requirements(1) Foldable seats should be sideways to the direction of travel
If the folding seat is oriented in the direction of travel, theseat cannot be folded to provide more space due to the positionof the backrest.

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4.Society with Automated Driving(2) Public Acceptance of Automated Driving
4) Research for Automated Driving Bus Friendly to Persons with Disabilities or Reduced Mobility and Orientation(2) When not in use, the seat surface is in a lowered position.
A visually impaired person using a white cane judges
whether a seat is available by the feel of the cane in their hand.
Guide dogs are trained to place their head on an available seat.
Therefore, when a passenger is not using a folding seat, the seatshould be lowered.
(3) Open and close at the touch of a button
If the chair is heavy or requires a lot of force to close, it may
be perceived as a chore to fold it up and utilize the space.

(Image of the clasp when affixed)

3.2.4. Considerations(1）Minimize risk of accidents like finger entrapment
In the past, the driver folded the seat, checking carefully toperform the operation safely. In the proposed system, thepassengers fold the seat for themselves by pressing a button. The
new design must therefore prevent passengers from getting
their fingers caught in the seat or otherwise injuring themselves.
(2) Loss of handrails
While the folding seat provides more space, it also requires
fewer vertical grip bars, leaving fewer places for standing
passengers to hold onto. Efforts to alleviate congestion and theinstallation of suspension straps and ceiling handrails are
required.
(3) Safety Considerations
If a person with a cane or short leg orthosis sits on a sidewaysfacing seat, other passengers may trip over them, causing injury
to themselves or other passengers. It is necessary to consider
the safety of other passengers as well, such as by making
announcements in the car to warn them.

3.3. Wheelchair locking devices
3.3.1. Overview
When a wheelchair user gets on the bus, the driver needs tosecure the wheelchair to the floor with a three-point belt after
the aforementioned ramp is deployed and retracted and the seatfolded away, which is all very time-consuming.
A wheelchair locking device (Fig.4), which is easy to bothsecure and release, will be installed on the floor of the bus. It canbe released by pressing a button mounted on the wall next tothe device.

3.3.2. Feedback obtained from operators, research
participants, etc.
Operators expressed hope that the time required to secure awheelchair could be shortened and the burden on the operator
to secure the wheelchair reduced. Users commented that theywanted floor makings to lead them to the correct position, thatthey stumbled over devices installed on the floor, and that theircanes got caught on them.

Fig.4: Image of wheelchair securing device

3.3.3. Examples of specific requirements(1) Add floor guides for wheelchair users
Floor markings would make it easier for wheelchair users tosecure their wheelchairs.
(2) Securing device installed with a lid under the folding seat
This will mitigate the risks that white canes used by thevisually impaired or canes used by the elderly may get caught in
the wheelchair locking device, or other passengers tripping
over it.

3.3.4. Considerations(1) Installation of fasteners on the wheelchair
In order to use such a wheelchair locking device, a clamp
must be installed on the wheelchair. In a society where suchwheelchair locking devices are installed on buses, it will benecessary to design a system and specifications for both thewheelchair and the locking device so that the device can be
attached regardless of the type of wheelchair.

3.4. Content of on-board display
3.4.1. Overview
When road users with limited mobility who need a long timeto get off the bus take an unfamiliar bus route, they are unable
to prepare for getting off the bus with sufficient time to sparebecause they do not know where they are or how soon they will
arrive at their destination, and they can panic when they arriveat their destination bus stop. People with mental disabilities andwho are prone to changes in their physical condition can feelanxious about using the bus because they do not know at which
bus stop they can get off to rest if they feel unwell during the bus
ride. Stroller users feel inconvenienced by the lack of
information around bus stops because they need to take care of
their infants. This system solves these problems by displaying
detailed information on the on-board display. (Fig.5)

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4) Research for Automated Driving Bus Friendly to Persons with Disabilities or Reduced Mobility and Orientation

Next Stop

Shimbashiekimae

2 minHamarikyumae

7 min

Tsukiji
5-chome

We are here

Hamarikyumae
2 minHamarikyu Rest Area

Toei BusCity 01
Express

Hamarikyu-mae Hotel

Oedo Line

Next Stop

Shimbashiekimae

1 minHamarikyumae
Stopping

Arrived
6 min

Tsukiji
5-chomeHamarikyu-mae

Arriving Shortly
Please do not get out of your seat until the bus comesto a complete stop.

Hamarikyu Rest Area

Next Stop: Tsukiji 5-chome

Hamarikyu-mae Hotel

Map data source: Google

Fig.5: Image of the content displayed on the on-board display

3.4.2. Feedback obtained from operators, research
participants, etc.

Red: Braking

Blue: Arrival at stop

Operators commented that they could concentrate on
driving because they would need to respond to fewer inquiries.
While participants commented that it relieved their anxiety
about their current location and the next stop, others said that
it would be better to obtain information from tablets or otherdevices.

3.4.3. Considerations(1) Selection of information to be displayed, provision of
information via apps etc.
While it is good if information can be obtained via thedisplay, too much information makes it difficult to receive eachpiece of information slowly and accurately, so it is necessary toconsider the provision of information using apps held by thepassengers.

3.5. R eason for stopping is indicated by lights inside
the bus3.5.1. Overview
Hearing-impaired persons and the elderly may not be able tounderstand the reason for the bus stopping, due to inability ordifficulty in hearing announcements on the bus. To solve thisproblem, the reason for the bus stopping is indicated by thecolor of a light installed inside the bus. (Fig.6)

3.5.2. Feedback obtained from operators, concerned
parties, etc.
Some users commented that while this does make it easier tounderstand the reason for stopping, and increases safety, colorand brightness need to be taken into consideration.

Fig.6: Image of on-board light display

4

Results and summary of the study

4.1. Design layout proposal to solve the problems ofroad users with limited mobility and drivers
This project focused not only on solving the problems ofroad users with limited mobility but also the problems ofdrivers.
Bus operators have been making efforts to promote buses
that are easy for road users with limited mobility to use byintroducing low-floor busses and continuously studying andworking on improvements. For this study, we obtained feedback
from road users with limited mobility on (1) automatic ramps,(2) simple folding seats, and (3) wheelchair securing devices,with the intent of allowing them smoother boarding andalighting.
In addition, bus operators and drivers make announcements
to prevent accidents aboard the bus. Nevertheless, such
accidents occur, especially among the elderly and road users
with limited mobility, due to being in a hurry to get off the bus.

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The content of onboard displays and reasons for stopping being
indicated by a colored light, as described in sections 3.4 and 3.5of this report, are considered to enhance the communication of
information to road users with limited mobility, contributing to
the reduction of impatience to get off the bus and the preventionof accidents involving falls inside the bus.
This project studied the design requirements andconsiderations assuming a situation in which automated buses
will be widely used in the future and so drivers will not always
be able to provide support to passengers. These requirements
are applicable not only to future automated driving buses, butalso to solving the problems of current scheduled buses.

4.2. Design requirements with consideration ofuniversal design
We carefully made a design to solve an issue for a user so as
not to generate another fresh issue for other users.
For example, for the visually impaired, the automatic ramp
makes it difficult to see the boundary between inside andoutside of the bus, the folding seats make it difficult to spot
empty seats when they are closed, and the wheelchair securing
device poses a risk of a cane getting caught in it. It is easy to
imagine that such physical layout changes would causeinconvenience to visually impaired people who have difficulties
for spatial recognition. As shown in the requirements andconsiderations in this study, it is necessary to design the space
so that visually impaired people can use it safely; for example,
by using materials and unevenness of the floor surface, alerts
using sound, and the removal of exposed hazards.

4.3. Future considerations
The committee confirmed that the Japan Automobile
Manufacturers Association would start measuring workability
and safety using the mockups (automatic ramp, wheelchair
securing device, and folding seats) created by this project, andthat they would like to continue studying other ideas,
incorporating new opinions based on the requirements
described, with a view to proposing them to business operators.

5

Conclusion from Masayuki Kawamoto,chairperson of this study projectThis study began with the question of how everyone,
including road users with limited mobility, can use public
transportation by themselves when public transportation
becomes fully automated in the future and drivers and othercrew members are no longer on board. The introduction of
automated driving technology does not mean a sudden shift to
fully automated driving, but a number of careful steps must be
taken. It is an important point of view that the driver of public
transportation, such as a bus route, should be able to concentrateon the driving itself and drive safely at the same time, whileallowing road users with limited mobility to make full use of

public transport without concern.
Furthermore, this survey have reaffirmed that, regardless of
the introduction of automated driving, all public transportation,
including existing public transportation, must provide
reasonable consideration for road users with limited mobility,
and that there is still much room for improvement from thecurrent situation. Of course, various measures and the efforts ofmany predecessors have lowered the barriers for wheelchairusers and others to use public transportation. However, while
many of these measures have been hardware-based, the use of
the IoT, although remarkably popular in recent years, has beenslower to take root. Many bus transportation businesses areplaced in a very difficult business environment, and it is difficult
to introduce new equipment that requires a large investment.
On the other hand, many road users with limited mobility now
also have smartphones, and it is no longer so outlandish to
making using such devices a prerequisite of taking the bus. Of
course, there are many challenges in making such applications
easy to use and understand; AI is not the simple and convenientanswer to everything. What is important is to steadily identify
true needs from the user's, rather than from the provider's,
point of view, and to make repeated improvements from there.
We hope that this survey will serve as a guidepost along thelong road ahead.

[References]
(1) Bus Gear Terminal: Looking Back on the History of "Low-Floor
Busses" (1) How a "European Tour" Changed the Times https://www.bus-gear.com/terminal/busgear_contents_detail.htm?L=BCSDe
tail&BCD=P65&ID=A10208465176, (referenced 2022.08.05)(2) Bus Gear Terminal: Looking Back on the History of "Low-Floor
Busses" (3) Why Did "Domestic Full-Flat Buses" Not Become
Popular? https://www.bus-gear.com/terminal/busgear_contents_
detail.
htm?L=BCSDetail&ID=A10309749413, (referenced 2022.08.05)(3) Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism: Report on
the Development of Standard Specifications for Next-generation
Prevalent Low-Floor Busses in 2002, https://www.mlit.go.jp/
jidosha/topics/nsbus/nsbushome.htm, (referenced 2022.08.01)(4) Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism:
Establishment of a Certification System for Low-Floor Busses withStandard Specifications, https://www.mlit.go.jp/kisha/kisha04/09/090119_.html, (referenced 2022.08.01)(5) Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism: Partial
Revision of the Guidelines for Approval of Standard Specification
Low-Floor Busses, https://www.mlit.go.jp/report/press/jidosha07_
hh_ 000185.html, (referenced 2022.08.01)[Contacts]
Healthcare Implementation Group, Advanced Technology Strategy
Unit, NTT DATA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT CONSULTING, Inc.,
JA Kyosai Bldg. 10F, 2-7-9 Hirakawacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 03-32217011 (switchboard), Contact: Soichiro Shibata (Manager)

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