UK self-driving startup Wayve sets up Japan testing and development centre
Executives from UK self-driving startup Wayve and SoftBank
attend an event in Tokyo, Japan, April 22, 2025.
REUTERS/Daniel Leussink
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TOKYO, April 22 (Reuters) - British self-driving technology startup
Wayve said on Tuesday it has established a new testing and
development centre in Japan, its first expansion into an Asian
market.
Wayve said the new centre will allow it to speed up the development
of AI-powered driving software in collaboration with automakers and
support testing and developing of the technology in Tokyo and
surrounding regions.
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"By incorporating training data from Japan's complex road
environments, Wayve will strengthen the generalization of its
foundation model and enhance adaptability across global markets,"
Wayve said in a statement.
Japan's third-biggest automaker Nissan
(7201.T)
said this month its next-generation autonomous driving technology to
be launched in fiscal 2027 will feature software supplied by Wayve.
Wayve, which is
backed
by SoftBank Group
(9984.T), is also testing its technology in the United Kingdom, Germany,
the United States and Canada.
Unlike conventional systems that rely on detailed digital maps and
coding, Wayve's technology uses machine learning with camera sensors
mounted on the outside of vehicles to learn from traffic patterns
and driver behaviour.
Reporting by Daniel Leussink; Editing by Edwina Gibbs
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
