Last week Toyota revealed more details about their autonomous shuttle-bus, which athletes can use to get around the 2020 Olympic village. The e-Palette, as it’s officially named, has slightly different looks from the rendered version that was shown this summer. The electric vehicle features a symmetric design and has room for 20 passengers, one of which will be the operator. Despite being an autonomous vehicle, Toyota has decided the shuttle would need an operator, who can act in case of an emergency. The e-Palette is also completely wheelchair friendly, as it has room for 4 wheelchairs and an additional seven standing passengers.
The autonomous part of the shuttle operates with an advanced high-accuracy 3D mapping system, featuring sensors, cameras and a LiDAR system. The e-Palette is mostly a showcase of what Toyota can do with autonomous vehicle technology. With a maximum speed of 20 km/h, they’re not taking much risk there
Toyota will have 20 e-Palette shuttles driving around the Olympic terrain and the vehicle will officially be revealed and on display at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show, which is held from October 24 to November 4.
