Field Trials of A Self-driving Bus Begin at the Ito Campus

 On Tuesday, December 13, 2016, Kyushu University National University Corporation, NTT DOCOMO, Inc., DeNA Co., Ltd., and the City of Fukuoka held a press conference to announce the launch of field trials of a self-driving bus at the university’s Ito Campus.

 During the press conference, university president Dr. Kubo voiced the hope that the field trial at the Ito Campus—a sizeable site where a large number of students, staff, and faculty members study and work—would result in self-driving buses being brought into service on the Ito Campus in the second semester of the 2018 academic year, as well as helping to resolve such social issues as the need for forms of transport suited to an ultra-aging society in population decline.

 Around 40 students, staff, and faculty members went for a ride around the Ito Campus on the self-driving bus, during which they received an explanation of the latest technology aimed at improving safety and convenience. These participants then talked about their hopes regarding the self-driving buses.