
TOKYO -- Japanese mobile phone service provider NTT Docomo is tapping its expertise in high-speed communications to co-develop autonomous vehicle technology with internet service company DeNA.
The technology will let vehicles detect lane lines and any obstacles based on surrounding images, as well as control acceleration, deceleration and steering to maintain the appropriate distance from other cars. The companies are planning to conduct experiments with fixed-route buses as early as this year, with the ultimate aim of marketing the finished product to automakers.