Kawasaki City will equip its autonomous driving system with a new "route generation AI" that independently determines the optimal driving path, aiming for Level 4 implementation of autonomous buses in fiscal year 2027. This year's test runs will incorporate this new AI. Previously, AI was only used for object recognition around the autonomous bus, and the driving route was determined by the autonomous driving system based on pre-set rules. By newly incorporating the "route generation AI," the AI will now handle action planning and prediction, such as how to proceed, aiming for smoother driving closer to human operation and further improvement in the autonomous driving rate. Under the "KAWASAKI L4 Bus Project," the city aims to implement Level 4 (L4) autonomous buses in urban areas to foster a sustainable transportation environment. This project has been selected as a priority support project by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's "Project for Promoting the Social Implementation of Autonomous Driving." This marks the third consecutive year of selection. *1 Level 4 refers to fully autonomous driving where the system handles all driving operations under specific conditions such as location, weather, and speed. Project Website Implementation Overview ■ Driving Period Early July 2026 to late January 2027 (driving with manual and Level 2*2 operation). This year, there are no plans for public trial rides as the focus will be on learning runs with the introduction of the route generation AI. *2 Level 2 refers to autonomous driving where the system partially controls both the accelerator/brake and steering, assisting the driver. ■ Vehicle Vehicle Size Medium-sized bus Vehicle Name Minibus 2.0 Vehicle Manufacturer Tier IV Passenger Capacity 16 people (including the driver's seat during autonomous operation). Maximum Speed 40 km/h (during autonomous operation) *3 *3 This is an improvement of 5 km/h from the previous speed. ■ Driving Route Name Haneda