Transportation Japan
Saying Sayonara to Dangerous Driving
Japan is spending billions on high-tech traffic management systems. As in Europe and the U.S., the focus is on video and radar systems designed to keep cars from crashing.
Japan is supporting development of seven major automotive safety systems
Japan is a squeeze. Too many people, too little land, and more cars than you can shake a stick at. What's more, the cost of building new roads in and around cities like Tokyo and Osaka is so high that such measures are practically unthinkable. So it's only natural that the country is turning to intelligent transportation system (ITS) technologies. In fact, according to the country's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Japan is expected to spend tens of billions of dollars on ITS systems over the next ten years.
Already, Tokyo has installed some 20,000 vehicle detectors and 300 cameras that monitor traffic conditions on major roads and update their status every five minutes. Nation-wide, four ministries coordinate ITS implementation. The National Police Agency, which manages all roads except high-speed highways, is mainly interested in reducing traffic congestion in larger cities and improving driver and pedestrian safety. In addition, a program known as the Universal Traffic Management System coordinates the short-term private sector research and development projects associated with ITS. One of the goals of the program is to make better use of installed information gathering systems in order to manage traffic more effectively. Already, drivers who have a special receiver connected to their navigation systems are being provided with real-time information regarding traffic conditions and can see where congestion is located. Other projects are focusing on how to give priority to public and emergency vehicles. For instance, radio signals from such vehicles could trigger traffic lights to turn green, thus reducing travel times. And for cars involved in accidents, an emergency center has been established that is contacted automatically by the vehicle when its airbags deploy. Japan's high-speed highways are managed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT). Here, one of the main areas of activity is Smart Cruise, a system that helps cars to stay in their lanes. In this connection, the MLIT has embarked on a five-year program to outfit the lanes of major highways with magnetic markers. Cars with magnetic sensors will then be able to stay in their lanes automatically. If a car strays from its lane without signaling, the steering wheel may vibrate or an alarm may be triggered. Information about road conditions just ahead of the vehicle will also be communicated to drivers through a host of roadside installations. If, for instance, a sharp curve is approaching and the driver is traveling at too high a speed, a warning may appear on a display, or, in a later development stage, the vehicle may actually brake automatically to the appropriate speed.
Cognizant of trends in Europe and the U.S., Japanese automobile manufacturers are developing camera-based systems that can keep an eye on lanes and warn drivers if their vehicles begin to stray. They are also developing vehicle-based radar systems designed to detect other vehicles and thus prevent collisions. These systems were successfully demonstrated in 2001. Most likely, trucks will be the first vehicles to be outfitted with advanced sensor systems. Assuming questions about reliability and customer acceptance can be fully satisfied, commercial implementation is expected before 2010.
Concurrently, with support from the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Post and Telecommunications (MPHPT), Japanese manufacturers are developing automotive navigation systems capable of providing dynamic route guidance and suggesting the shortest route to a given destinationall using speech recognition. Also in the offing are dynamic road signs that respond to changing conditions (for instance right turn forbidden from 7 to 9 a.m.), and portable navigation systems that can be taken out of a vehicle and used by pedestrians. On-board communication channels are also set to change radically as the MPHPT prepares vehicles for a high-speed Internet future.
Christoph Roth / Arthur F. Pease