The autonomous shuttle MiCa developed by Auve Tech, an Estonian self-driving technology company, has been approved according to Japanese Level 4 requirements and started operations on the public streets of Taki Town, Mie Prefecture.

“Level 4 or driverless operations is the Holy Grail of every company developing autonomous technology,” said the Founder of Auve Tech, Mr. Väino Kaldoja, adding, “Achieving confirmation for Level 4 in Japan and in public traffic is a great leap in development for a young technology company.”

Auve Tech specialises in the development and manufacturing of autonomous transportation systems. They offer a full-scope service that entails autonomous vehicles, their integration to various environments and fleet management.

There are approximately twenty MiCa vehicles produced by Auve Tech in Japan catering daily to the citizens of several small towns and providing mobility in mixed traffic. Most of them are operated by Boldly, the subsidiary of Softbank, funded by the Government of Japan. “The approval for driverless passenger service in public traffic lays the foundation for expanding the service and we believe that this will also open markets for us elsewhere.”

MiCa completed 64 comprehensive tests

The 64 different test cases to prove its driverless operation capability MiCa was subjected to, is known to be one of the most comprehensive set of tests in the field of autonomy in the world.

MiCa is an 8-seater autonomous shuttle that has been developed and produced in Estonia. In addition to Japan, MiCa shuttles have operated in Estonia, Finland, Germany, the United States and several countries in the Middle East.

In the US market Auve Tech has partnered with Guident to integrate its teleoperation solution into the autonomous shuttle, amplifying its safety features and augmenting Auve Tech’s advanced autonomous technology.

MiCa autonomous minibuses produced in Estonia drive daily in city traffic all over Japan, where 18 MiCa´s have been sold. The Japanese government plans to introduce autonomous vehicles in 40 cities by the end of next year.

Auve Tech is a technology company founded in 2019 and has produced approx. 50 autonomous shuttles which makes it one of the largest automotive manufacturers in the history of Estonia.

GOOD TO KNOW

• In August Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida drove an autonomous vehicle MiCa for the first time. The vehicle serves passengers at the Vison resort in Japan. The visit aimed to learn about the development of autonomous vehicle technology.
• MiCa autonomous minibuses produced in Estonia drive daily in city traffic all over Japan, where 18 MiCa´s have been sold. The Japanese government plans to introduce autonomous vehicles in 40 cities by the end of next year.

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