Turn on your smartphone or tablet, pick a destination on the map
and ROPITS self-driving vehicle will do the rest! Hitachi’s new
single-seat transport robot was designed to maneuver its way
through city streets and sidewalks to pick you up and get you to
your desired location. Equipped with GPS and 2D and 3D laser
distance sensors, ROPITS can detect obstacles, bumps, and
pedestrians and adjust its speed—up to 3.7mph—to arrive safely
at any given destination. ROPITS weights 450 pounds and runs on
a lithium ion battery. As it rolls along at a top speed of 3.7
mph, it can reach its destination with a margin of error of less
than three feet. The company uses digital map data from Japan’s
Geographical Survey Institute and Real Time Kinematic GPS to
generate accurate altitude information and enable ROPITS to
build a three-dimensional map. The vehicle uses special on-board
sensors to pinpoint its current location and stay in upright
position on uneven surfaces. If needed, passengers can assume
control over the vehic