SoftBank to roll out first self-driving buses in Japan

10 February, 2020
SoftBank has stepped up its push to become a leading player in the driverless technology space, with an announcement that it will roll out self-driving buses in Japan from April this year. The initiative is being led by SB Drive Corp. (“SB Drive”), a joint venture formed in April 2016 between SoftBank and Advanced Smart … Read more

Japan allows Level 3 automated vehicles on public roads

06 June, 2019
Less than six months after being proposed by the National Police Agency, the Japanese Diet has enacted amendments to the Road Traffic Act which will allow Level 3 automated vehicles to be used on public roads.  The amended law will come into effect by May 2020. Level 3 automated vehicles are capable of driving without … Read more

Japanese mapping technology provider to acquire US rival

13 March, 2019
Japanese map platform developer, Dynamic Map Platform Co. (or DMP), announced last month that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire Detroit-based rival, Ushr, in a deal reported to be worth up to US$ 200 million. In this short piece, we consider the potential significance of this deal on the high-definition mapping market; a … Read more