Local News

The Kyushu Institute of Technology, the University of Kitakyushu and the Waseda University Graduate School of Information Production and Systems have agreed to open a joint research center on self-driving cars in Wakamatsu-ku, Kitakyushu City. Although Japan’s automakers are competing fiercely to develop their own self-driving cars, this team of 27 researchers from the three institutions say their aim is different—to create an all-weather self-driving car that can maneuver even in rainy and foggy conditions or at night. They plan to complete a prototype by 2017 and are thinking of cooperating with automakers in the future. Self-driving vehicles use artificial intelligence systems and GPS to assess their surroundings and reach their destination without a human driver. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun