Automated driving
In February 2025, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) demonstrated its “remote autonomous driving support system” at the Keio University Shonan Fujisawa Campus (“SFC”) located in Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture. SoftBank’s system, designed to …
On January 22, 2025, MONET Technologies Inc.—a joint venture with SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434), Toyota Motor Corporation and other Japan-based automotive manufacturers—launched an autonomous mobility service that runs on the public roads o…
In Japan, traffic regulations stipulate that when a vehicle approaches an unsignalized crosswalk with a vehicle stopped in front of it, the driver needs to come to a complete stop before proceeding. This presents a challenge to human opera…
In the latter half of fiscal 2024*, MONET Technologies Inc.—a joint venture with SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434), Toyota Motor Corporation and other Japan-based automotive manufacturers—plans to launch an autonomous mobility service that will…
Kajima Corporation and BOLDLY Inc., an autonomous driving systems development and service subsidiary of SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434), have been conducting Level 2 autonomous driving bus operations – which sees hands-free driving under cert…
In its research and development efforts to realize next-generation networks, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) has been actively researching Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) technologies and working to implement them, as evidenced by a Bus Rapid Transi…
Championing its concept of “a world where all things, information and minds are connected,” SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) is placing priority on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To do this, SoftBank is working to solve so…
As reported earlier by SoftBank News, BOLDLY Inc., an autonomous driving systems development and service subsidiary of SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434), brought a new autonomous EV shuttle called “MiCa” from Estonia to Japan for initial demons…
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a public transportation system designed to provide a high-capacity bus service that combines the speed and reliability of rail systems at much lower costs. With these advantages, BRT systems are seeing increased …
Keio Research Institute at SFC (KRIS) and SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434)’s Research Institute of Advanced Technology are collaborating on a new project that may serve as a model for automated driving. In May 2023, SoftBank and KRIS announced…
In light of demographic shifts such as an aging population, a declining birthrate and a shortage of drivers, Japan’s transportation infrastructure is facing challenges as rail and bus services contract in outlying areas. To address these m…
Following a previous announcement that it tied up with a US-based autonomous vehicle technology leader May Mobility, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) revealed it began conducting autonomous driving field tests in Tokyo in January 2023. In anti…
Through the ages, as a catalyst for social change, technology has played a key role in advancing humanity. To create new and better technologies, and to implement them into society to make a positive impact, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434)’s …
Sakai Town is a community located 70 kilometers north of Tokyo that has a population of approximately 24,000, with 29% classified as elderly. As the town lacks a railway station, residents were facing serious mobility challenges. As report…
Situated in the western part of Japan’s island of Shikoku, Iyo City is bordered by a sandy beach and mountainous terrain. The city has approximately 35,000 residents spread across an area close to 200km2. Against this backdrop of natural b…
In delivering the keynote speech at this year’s SoftBank World in Tokyo, Junichi Miyakawa, President & CEO of SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434), pulled no punches. At the online event for enterprise customers, he noted Japan continues to lag be…
SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) held its 36th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) on June 23, 2022, at Tokyo Portcity Takeshiba. President & CEO Junichi Miyakawa chaired the meeting, which was attended by approximately 50 shareholder…
Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) is a system of Japan-developed satellites that stay in orbit over specified areas for extended periods of time, unlike other satellites that orbit the Earth. High-precision positioning information can b…
BOLDLY Inc., a subsidiary of SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) that develops operation systems and provides services for autonomous driving mobility previously featured in SoftBank News, continues to make great progress. From December 15 to 19,…
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a new mode of public transportation that is attracting attention around the world. How is it different from regular bus services? BRT transit systems use dedicated corridors and stations to deliver fast and relia…
More than most countries, Japan urgently needs to introduce autonomous driving vehicles ASAP. Beset by a falling birth rate and an aging population declining in numbers yearly, the country's workforce too is shrinking. One government agenc…
5G is expected to redefine industries with its ultra-fast speeds, high capacity, low latency and massive device connectivity. The transportation and logistics sector, which is expected to utilize autonomous driving in the future, is likely…
SoftBank Corp. held a briefing on June 3, 2019 about its upcoming positioning service in Japan that will offer accuracy centimeter-level accuracy, an advance over current services that are accurate within meters. With the coming of the IoT…
On January 18, 2019, Dynamic Map Platform Co., Ltd. (“Dynamic Map Platform”), a Tokyo-based company that provides 3D map data, and SoftBank Corp. conducted a trial in Kamakura to test the generation of high-precision 3D “dynamic maps” for …
