Sony has announced plans to offer artificial intelligence
technology to six taxi operators in Japan.
Sony’s venture will be with Checker Cab Group, Daiwa Motor
Transportation, Green Cab, Hinomaru Kotsu, Kokusai Motorcars and Kotobuki Taxi - which together have a fleet of more than 10,000 taxis in the Tokyo area.
The technology will launch this spring and is intended to
help the cab companies predict demand so they can efficiently mobilize their
vehicles and improve the customer experience.
In addition to these “dispatch service applications,” Sony
says it will also create additional solutions to help the cab companies handle
payments and analyze ride data.
Sony will make the services available to taxi operators
across Japan as requested.
Sony’s news comes just weeks after Chinese ride-hailing
company Didi Chuxing announced a partnership with SoftBank to build AI-powered
ride-hailing platforms in Japan. The
company says the technology will be tested in Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka and Tokyo
this year.
Also earlier this month, Toyota announced plans to invest in
JapanTaxi. In a release, Toyota says the two companies will work together on projects
such as connected terminals for taxis, vehicle dispatch support systems and big
data collection.