Japanese robo-tech firm plans Olympic driverless taxi rollout

A Japanese robotics firm hopes to launch self-driving taxis in Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics. Reuters reports that ZMP Inc plans to bolt its technology onto Tokyo cab firm Hinomaru Kotsu's fleet of 600 cars. The company has been testing driverless car tech in Tokyo since last year, according to the newswire. Recent trials have …

[DagD]

buaaaahaha...

The door opened, you got in. (rolls eyes) Hell of a day, isn't it?

[Anonymous Coward]

No joke

The Japanese ageing population is no joke, its very real, you don't need to look hard when you visit Japan to see it. Infact, as the subject matter of this article implies you can see it as soon as you set foot in pretty much any taxi in Japan.

Having visited Japan a number of times now in recent years, I don't think I've ever had a taxi driver whose date of birth displayed on the ID card showed anything other than a number in the 1920–1930 range, and no, I'm not exaggerating in the slightest.

On the positive side, the Japanese diet does seem to keep them very healthy indeed.

It is a great shame. Its a fascinating country, nice people and once you've eaten true Japanese food, you won't want to touch the (by comparison) inedible Westernised stuff you find outside Japan.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: No joke

"I've ever had a taxi driver whose date of birth displayed on the ID card showed anything other than a number in the 1920–1930 range, and no, I'm not exaggerating in the slightest."

Considering the dates are in the Japanese calendar, not the Western calendar, I think you might be confusing yourself.

birth year of Showa 20 in the Japanese calendar would be 1946 - still older than you would expect in UK but not as dramatic as 1920.

[John Brown (no body)]

CReating a new problem for the later generation?

"technology is widely seen in the nation as the solution to its upcoming labour shortage"

Initially, solves a few problems, such as an impending labour shortage and a population needing care now and increasing as time goes on.

But what happens in a generation when the newly ageing population is smaller, as is the workforce, but there are even fewer jobs because everything "easy" is automated?