A pilot project in Japan is using a fleet of tablet computer controlled ultra-compact vehicles to navigate around a popular tourist destination. For its ‘Super Miniaturized Mobility’ project, Japanese telecoms company, Softbank, has deployed the vehicles across the village of Asuka, which is the site of Japan’s ancient capital, and features a number of important historical sites and locations that can be visited by the public. The ‘Michimo’ electric-powered, ultra-compact vehicles are a customized version of Nissan’s New Mobility Concept vehicle, which was introduced as a testbed model last year, to show the need for a small form-factor, short-distance vehicle for single passengers. The vehicle’s quiet electric propulsion and compact dimensions made it ideal for the relatively small size of the village.
Using the iPad Mini that is integrated into the Michimo vehicle, passengers can choose a target destination around the village without the need to rely on other map applications. Visitors or local residents can rent the vehicles to conveniently navigate around the village’s public areas, famous tourist spots and other featured destinations. The customized
In addition to the benefits for tourists, Softbank sees the project as having the potential to provide a convenient form of transport for the village’s elderly population. Although the use of tablet computers in cars for guidance and navigation is not a new concept, their integration into a vehicle that has been ‘personalized’ for a specific area, could lead to the development of automated single-use cabs that would effectively replace regular taxis, when used for quicksuburban trips. Softbank also plans to deploy the Michimo units across nearby towns and cities, particularly in the town of Takatori, and Kashihara City, home to another popular historical tourist site.
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