Autonomous Trial by Sensible 4 to Start in Tokyo

Paul Myles

TU-Editor

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3rd June 2022

Finnish autonomous driving company Sensible 4 will be running trials of its technology in Japan following the opening of its Tokyo office.

The company known for successful driverless shuttle tests in Arctic conditions in its home market, now wants to test its systems in the urban environments of Chiba in Japan using shuttles designed by life-style retailer MUJI. Sensible 4 develops SAE Level 4 full-stack autonomous driving software that turns any vehicle into self-driving. The technology combines software and information from several different sensors, enabling vehicles to operate in all weather conditions, including snowfall and fog.

Sensible 4 sees that autonomous driving technology can bring a solution to Japan’s prevalent challenges of an ageing population and driver shortage. Japan is a forerunner in adopting new technology and it’s also one of the first countries in the world to have regulations in place for self-driving vehicles. Also, Sensible 4 has secured financing of $18.2M, of which a major part is from Japanese investors.

Harri Santamala, CEO of Sensible 4, said: “We see Japan as a strategic market where we can help with our autonomous software in not only public transport but logistics and industrial sites. We also are already working with multiple Japanese customers, so it is important that we have the team ready to support when needed. Also, the self-driving software is developed and tested in Finland in comparable weather conditions as Japan.”
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in Europe. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_