LBS

Japan looks to launch driverless car system in Tokyo by 2020

A self-driving car service could be on Tokyo’s public roads in time for the 2020 Olympics as Japan looks to drive investment in new technology to drive economic growth, according to a government strategic review announced. The government plans to begin testing a driverless car system on public roads sometime this fiscal year with the goal of launching a selfdriving car service for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The government will then try to commercialize this system as early as 2022.

Economists see enormous potential in the development of autonomous vehicle and artificial intelligence technologies, which could help businesses cope with an aging and declining workforce. However, Japanese companies have struggled to keep up with their Chinese, European and U.S. counterparts in implementing such innovations into their work practices. The government also plans to change regulations for universities to make it easier for students to earn multidisciplinary degrees needed to work in artificial intelligence. www.reuters.com

World’s first dual-frequency GNSS smartphone hits the market

Xiaomi – one of the fastest growing mobile brands – has launched the world’s first dual-frequency GNSS smartphone. Fitted with a Broadcom BCM47755 chip, the Xiaomi Mi 8, launched on May 31, is the world’s first smartphone providing up to decimetre-level accuracy for locationbased services and vehicle navigation.

This smartphone is the first commercial deployment of Broadcom’s revolutionary BCM47755 chip. Until now, mobile location-based applications have been powered by single frequency GNSS receivers whose location accuracy is limited to a few meters. However, in recent years GNSS systems have been launching satellites broadcasting signals on new frequencies to open up new possibilities. Specifically, Galileo has the majority of satellites with E1/L1 and E5/L5 frequency capabilities.