The government will test automated driving systems on public roads and highways in Tokyo between 2017 and 2019 in hopes of accelerating commercialization of the technology ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, according to the Cabinet Office.
The government will invite foreign automakers to participate in the project, to run from around September 2017 through March 2019, along with domestic automobile and parts manufacturers and universities, among other entities.
The project will use highways in the Tokyo metropolitan area toward central Japan, such as the Tomei Expressway, for a total length of 300 km.
Public roads along Tokyo Bay and a special test course for self-driving vehicles being developed by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry are also included in the trial.
The automated driving system trial will collate information from self-driving vehicles that use high-resolution, 3-D maps, with test drivers' health data and the performance of self-driving buses in Okinawa, according to the office.