NEC face biometrics for passenger boarding in self-driving bus trial with JAL

The Japan Airlines Co. (JAL) and NEC Corporation are experimenting with self-driving buses and using Neoface facial recognition to verify passengers.

JAL employees are conducting verification of an autonomous operations system that uses NEC’s Communications and AI technology, and a face biometric boarding system, on some sections of a business shuttle bus.

The use of self-driving buses might be needed in Japan where there is a shortage of bus drivers and a decrease in users, making it increasingly difficult for bus routes across the country to be maintained. This poses challenges for certain regions and at infrastructure hubs like airports and stations for visiting travelers. To address these challenges, JAL and NEC have been considering using self-driving cars (Self-Driving Level 3 or higher).

To test future social implementation, commercial buses operating in the Haneda Airport maintenance area will run with driving assistance vehicles (Self-Driving Level 2). Self-Driving Level 2 refers to autonomous driving functions under specific conditions, where the system controls longitudinal and lateral movements, enabling acceleration, deceleration, and lane-keeping. However, the driver remains the main operator.

Users will be able to reserve a ride through the JAL Group employee-only application and identity verification through face biometrics will be conducted for boarding.

Article Topics

automation  |  biometric authentication  |  biometrics  |  facial recognition  |  identity verification  |  Japan  |  NEC  |  NeoFace