Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Machinery Systems has deployed an advanced Merging Support Information System to facilitate Japan’s first autonomous truck trial on the Shin-Tomei Expressway, the company said on Monday.
The system is designed to enhance highway merging safety by providing autonomous trucks with real-time traffic data, enabling them to adjust speed accordingly before entering the acceleration lane.
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The trial, led by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), the National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management (NILIM), and Central Nippon Expressway Company Limited (NEXCO Central), aims to improve autonomous vehicle operations on public roads.
The technology integrates vehicle detection sensors and roadside processing units to relay traffic information to self-driving trucks. It also supports non-autonomous vehicles equipped with dedicated receivers, such as ETC 2.0 or ITS Connect, broadening its potential impact on road safety.
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The trial, which is part of Japan’s “Digital Lifeline Development Plan,” will be conducted during late-night hours on a section of the Shin-Tomei Expressway between Surugawan-Numazu SA/SIC and Hamamatsu SA/SIC, where a priority lane has been designated for autonomous trucks.
MHI Group, which has a background in toll collection and vehicle communication technologies, sees the initiative as a step toward next-generation transportation infrastructure. “This project is an opportunity to advance autonomous driving safety and efficiency,” the company said in a statement.
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The trial builds on previous experiments and seeks to validate the system’s real-world performance, marking a milestone in Japan’s push for automated mobility solutions.