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It is quite natural that the world's first fully autonomous autonomous bus comes from Finland. Believe it or not, Finland is often considered the "silicon country" that has enabled the world of Nokia to define the mobile communications model. Nokia was founded in Finland and, for more than two decades before Apple launched the iPhone, Nokia was the standard to beat. In fact, it is likely that your first phone is a Nokia (I know mine was). After 2010, when Nokia witnessed a slowdown, which was later acquired and dissolved by Microsoft, these engineers and designers moved on. The dissolution of Nokia has led to the rise of companies such as Rovio (Angry Birds), SuperCell (Clash of Clans) and even Sensible 4, the company that designed the software behind Gacha, the world's first standalone bus designed to work in all weather conditions.
THE COLLABORATION
Gacha was created in collaboration with MUJI, who provided the design language of the bus. Thanks to a partnership facilitated by Helsinki Business Hub (which promotes collaboration between international agencies and Finnish talent), MUJI, led by Naoto Fukasawa, contacted Sensible 4, the brain behind autonomous driving software. Since the 90's, Sensible 4 has been working on the technology of self-driving. In fact, they even tested an autonomous Jeep in 1993, but the computers inside were so big that there was no room for humans! The collaboration began when Sensible 4 began to develop ways to make public transport more autonomous and friction free. The idea of a 10-person bus able to navigate anywhere, no matter how long was born and MUJI immediately jumped on board to help bring this vision to life!
DESIGN
The name Gacha comes from a Japanese figurine often found in Japanese shops and malls. These Gachas would be inside a huge dispenser of chewing gums and once you put the money in and pressed a button, the toy would come out, enclosed in an almost spherical container. This container, in which was a human toy, became MUJI's inspiration for the Gacha, as well as his name.
The two-tone design of the Gacha is also inspired by the two-part construction of the toy container. It is characterized by a flexible and threaded design that immediately appears user-friendly and inviting, unlike the rigid design of the buses or the aerodynamic design of the trains. The flexible shape helps break down barriers by not creating a tightly defined wall or ceiling. The curved shape, almost like that of the uterus, immediately allows her to be perceived as friendly both inside and out … a very important feature, says Naoto Fukasawa, considering how an autonomous vehicle could be formidable. The size of the vehicle is also perfect, allowing 10 people to be seated and 4 additional people to stand indoors. The design of the seats is conducive to friendly conversation. Unlike most buses whose seats are oriented in one direction or designed individually, the seats are arranged in a linear fashion, the Gacha has a bench running from left to right. It is inspired by the seats of saunas, inheritance and Finnish tradition, to encourage people to sit in groups.
Its size is also crucial, according to Harri Santamala, CEO of Sensible 4. The small size of the Gacha (coupled with its maximum speed of 40 km / h) is ideal for small commuter activities. The bus is safe because of its speed, and if and when the demand for Gacha increases, municipalities can simply deploy more vehicles on the road, rather than making bigger and more accommodating vehicles.
Finally, Gacha's drawing is bilaterally symmetrical as a stroke of complete genius. Naoto explains that the Gacha can easily be used in both left and right driving countries. The headlights and taillights are integrated into a strip of light-emitting diodes that surrounds the size of the car. A simple switchover in the software allows headlights and taillights to change direction, allowing the bus to travel easily from any side of the road without the need for significant costs. material / construction modifications. The total absence of badpit or steering wheel means that the interiors are also perfectly symmetrical on both sides, from the benches up to the screens in the bus.
TECHNOLOGY
Sensible 4 has been working on autonomous driving technology for almost 30 years. With the Gacha, the company finally sees autonomous vehicles making their way on the roads that surround them. How is Gacha different from other autonomous vehicles in the world? It is the first autonomous vehicle designed to work in virtually all weather conditions.
Finland, in addition to promoting an extremely talented technological community (and being one of only two countries in the world to already have legislation in place for autonomous cars) also constitutes a breeding ground. ideal test for autonomous cars, given the weather diversity. Away from the sunny plains of San Francisco, Finland is proving to be a complete obstacle course for the Gacha. He sees snow, rain, sun, hail and fog and the roads are often difficult to navigate because they can be snowy, frozen and icy or just uneven in the suburbs of the country. Sensitive 4 has worked hard and long to develop a vehicle capable not only of detecting roads and obstacles, but also to perform its tasks in bad weather. The Gacha, equipped with a wide variety of sensors, cameras and mapping systems, can traverse a thick fog, thick snow and even torrential rains without sweating. It can navigate the roads using an on-board GPS and map, detect traffic and signs in accordance with the law, stop at traffic lights, crosswalks or even if there is an obstacle in his way. In the snow, the Gacha knows exactly where the speed bumps are, combining a radar, a lidar and a sonar, and his intelligent artificial intelligence can even map alternative routes if the roads are closed, dangerous or even congested.
A look at how Gacha captures and processes his environment
The Gacha was finally designed to be a shuttle. Think of an Uber pool for more than 4 people. It can operate in the city as well as in the suburbs, selecting people who call it and planning its routes according to the demand, using the advanced algorithms of Sensible 4. Rather than having a fixed route as a public bus, the Gacha can do diversion to fetch people who have to go to certain destinations. With its range of 100 km and 6 hours of autonomy, it can make several trips before retiring to a charging station located nearby. station for fast charging.
The test tour
As a member of an exclusive team that had the opportunity to attend the unveiling of the Gacha, Yanko Design has had the rare opportunity to be one of the first to be found. Sit inside and ride the Gacha. The bus was unveiled to the public in Helsinki on March 8, with a flag of the deputy mayor of the city. The snow had fallen the day before and the roads were slippery and slippery, and I remember everyone complaining about the misery, while the Gacha team had a very opposite reaction! They were more than happy to demonstrate the bus in adverse weather conditions. Unveiled at the newly built central library of Helsinki, the Oodi, the Gacha was forced to circulate in an area closed to the public, including the press.
Upon entering the Gacha, I immediately remembered having recorded two reactions. My mind knew exactly how much it was a problem to sit in a vehicle that operated alone, without any instruction or control from a present human … but at the same time, it seemed like an experiment incredibly familiar. You see, we are used to something quite similar with a subway or a train. You do not necessarily see the driver of the train in which you are sitting. You just have to enter the compartment and stay still, knowing that the vehicle will travel with you inside, and that your only job will be to get off at your stop. That's what the Gacha felt, too, and it's an incredible win for the industry because it immediately helps to dispel any public fear of self-driving cars. Practically the size of a large cable car, the Gacha s' moved alone while myself, with a group of journalists, sat inside, trying to get away from it all. to record exactly the big problem that this represented. The bus immediately created a feeling of confidence and I doubt that a car would have exactly the same feeling because people are used to driving their own cars, but with a bus, you are usually always a pbadenger.
The Gacha knew exactly where to stop, when and for how long to open his sliding doors and when to board. He completed a circular walk around an empty parcel on the outside of the Oodi library and traced exactly the same path without the presence of traffic lanes, lines or even a roadway. He stopped when a pedestrian approached and started as soon as the coast was cleared. The LED band around the Gacha did a remarkable job in letting people know exactly when it was going to stop, when it was waiting to board and when it had to leave. In every sense, the Gacha did exactly what he had promised, with the intuition of a human driver, knowing exactly where and when to proceed.
L & # 39; FUTURE
The Gacha may be able to go alone from point A to point B, but he still has many obstacles to overcome. To begin, Sensible 4 sends the bus (its only prototype at the moment) in the northern regions of Finland to get there in the snow. The team will gather all the necessary data for the Gacha to work better and with less friction, regardless of weather conditions. There is also an important debate about the presence of autonomous automobiles with regard to the dangers of technology. The immediate fear is the loss of jobs, but in any changing society, old jobs are dying to create new ones. The Deputy Mayor of Helsinki thinks the Gacha will create new jobs with him. The second most important fear is the protocol in an undesirable situation such as an accident or a calamity. Although the Gacha is highly optimized and limited in speed to avoid any accident, it remains to be determined what the bus will do in the event of such an accident. Unlike humans who can flee a scene, the Gacha will have to be much more responsible and responsible, while also being responsible for the people who compose it. Given the launch date of the Gacha in 2021, we can finally get a better idea of the safety protocols for autonomous vehicles.
While the Gacha performs her one – year testing in the city of Espoo, Sensible 4 is tasked with finding a hardware / manufacturer partner for the vehicle. With the design and technology in place, the company hopes that city and municipal governments will invite it to become part of the transit system. The Gacha also offers many opportunities outside public transport. With the ability to work as a logistics vehicle, or even move a retail outlet like a grocery store, or maybe a MUJI store! (!) On wheels, the Gacha can wear many hats, serving not only local governments and municipalities, but even businesses. In the end, the fact that the Gacha is able to travel in any time, without the need for a driver, really allows the vehicle to integrate transparent in various countries, cultures, societies, campuses and even businesses. Designed to be simply a vehicle capable of getting from point A to point B reliably, without problems or problems, the Gacha has a universal vision and appeal that seems harmless before the time!
Designers: MUJI x Sensible 4 (collaboration facilitated by the Helsinki Business Hub)
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