Japan's DeNA Says Get on the Self-Driving Bus

TOKYO—Japanese mobile internet company DeNA Co. said Thursday that it would start a transportation service in Japan that uses self-driving buses, its latest push into autonomous driving.

DeNA will use the EZ10 electric shuttle produced by EasyMile, a French driverless technology startup, that it has dubbed the "Robot Shuttle." It will begin offering services next month at a large park partially managed by a shopping mall developer in Chiba prefecture, near Tokyo.

DeNA has joined global auto makers, as well as nontraditional players such as Alphabet Inc.'s Google and Chinese internet search giant Baidu Inc., in the race to develop driverless vehicles.

The company is set to announce Friday that it has formed a consortium with Japanese mobile carrier NTT DoCoMo Inc., Kyushu University and the city of Fukuoka in southern Japan to develop autonomous driving technology using the Robot Shuttle.

The four-meter-long Robot Shuttle can accommodate up to 12 passengers and travel at up to 40 kilometers an hour, DeNA said. It uses sensors, cameras and a Global Positioning System to navigate and avoid obstacles. DeNA said it envisions the bus being used on private roads and properties such as shopping malls, university campuses and factories.

Driverless buses have been tried—or will soon be—in places such as the Swiss city of Sion and Trikala, Greece.

DeNA Executive Officer Hiroshi Nakajima, who heads its automotive business, said the company's role will mostly involve working with authorities and insurance companies to provide a "service package" to clients.

There is a lot of demand for bus services in large private institutions but not enough drivers, he said.

In Japan, Toyota Motor Corp. is developing driverless vehicles and the government is providing funds to develop maps and other technologies so that by 2020, when Tokyo hosts the Olympics, it can offer automated transportation to and from venues for visitors and athletes.

Industry executives hope the government support will help lighten regulatory challenges and enable Japan to be first to market with autonomous cars. Many auto makers already offer features that enable cars to take over critical functions and increase safety.

DeNA, which also produces mobile games, jumped into the driverless car race last year when it formed a joint venture called Robot Taxi Inc. with ZMP Inc., a developer of vehicle technology.

Aiming to commercialize its driverless transportation service by 2020, DeNA has said it would seek to offer unmanned cabs to foreign travelers and local residents in areas of Japan where buses and trains aren't available.

"We have no doubt that DeNA has strong ability to deliver and execute in Japan," said Gilbert Gagnaire, founder and chief executive of EasyMile.

Write to Alexander Martin at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 07, 2016 05:55 ET (09:55 GMT)

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