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posted by janrinok on Sunday October 13 2019, @10:27AM   Printer-friendly
from the atheletes-can-run-faster dept.

Toyota's e-Palette will transport athletes during the 2020 Olympics

As part of its big robot push for upcoming the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, Toyota says it will have 20 of its e-Palette electric vehicles on-site to transport athletes.

Each of the vehicles will travel through the athletes' village at a leisurely 12 miles per hour along a designated loop. As an SAE Level 4-capable autonomous vehicle, the e-Palette will be able to navigate the area all on its own. However, a safety attendant will be onboard each vehicle to ensure nothing goes wrong. Those capabilities put the e-Palette in about the same ballpark as Waymo's current fleet of autonomous vehicles.

Toyota adds that it consulted with athletes to adapt the vehicle to their needs. It can transport up to four passengers in wheelchairs at the same time, and includes an electric ramp to facilitate easy and quick boarding. The automaker also made the interior elements of the Tokyo 2020 Version contrast to help colorblind individuals.


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 13 2019, @12:58PM (5 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 13 2019, @12:58PM (#906595)

    Really? Is this really necessary and/or beneficial to anyone (but Toyota)? This is the side of technology and "progress" that truly disgusts me. Unfortunately, that side seems to grow by leaps and bounds every year.

    Despite its many recent slips/controversies (and Jim Nance/Bob Costas notwithstanding), I still consider the Olympics to be one of the last showcases of the best Humanity has to offer. For Christ's sake, I was moved to tears when the Korean athletes - North and South - walked out together in the opening ceremonies last time. THAT is what the Olympics is.

    We would do well to keep as much humanity as possible in this event, and that includes bus drivers, janitors, food/drink servers, ...

    Screw the robots and anyone who had anything to do with this.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 13 2019, @01:07PM (3 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 13 2019, @01:07PM (#906600)

      Yeah, we should take the wheelchairs away from the cripples too.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 13 2019, @01:15PM (2 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 13 2019, @01:15PM (#906601)

        Wheelchairs fall under the "really necessary and/or beneficial to anyone" clause, you fucking tool. Stop being a douche.

        • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Sunday October 13 2019, @02:19PM (1 child)

          by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Sunday October 13 2019, @02:19PM (#906616) Journal

          And having wheelchairs is why they require transport to get to and from the venue - or couldn't you work that out on your own?

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 13 2019, @05:41PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 13 2019, @05:41PM (#906681)

            The Paralympics began in 1948. Getting people to the venues is a problem that was worked out long ago - it involves other actual, compassionate human beings putting down their smartphones and making an effort to get involved and support other human beings. Or couldn't you work THAT out on your own? And yes, there is technology involved (wheels, ramps, motors, etc.), but not to the point where interaction with other human beings is unnecessary.

            The (Para)Olympics is supposed to be about all of humanity putting aside their stupid differences for a couple of weeks every few years and coming together to celebrate some stupid human tricks. The whole thing is supposed to be about people...actual meatbags. You're arguing to take more people OUT of the process. As long as you can find a human being willing/able to do the job, why use a robot? I (don't condone, but) understand why Amazon wants to replace people with robots, but at the Olympics? C'mon, where's your damn soul?

            Also, for many people, working at the Games is the only way they would ever get to be a part of it, so thanks for taking away THAT opportunity.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 13 2019, @01:22PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 13 2019, @01:22PM (#906604)

      We would do well to keep as much humanity as possible in this event, and that includes bus drivers, janitors, food/drink servers, ...

      No, we shouldn't. We should give those jobs to robots, and free those people so that they can become esports casters, nuclear physicists, mathematicians, and self-help gurus. Until robots take those jobs away too. Then everyone can become grifters or couch potatoes, and we can finally cancel the Olympics and start WW3.

  • (Score: 2) by Username on Sunday October 13 2019, @02:21PM (2 children)

    by Username (4557) on Sunday October 13 2019, @02:21PM (#906618)

    That snobby American thing, where you use a french word to make something seem fancier than it actually is, has finally spread to Japan.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 13 2019, @04:04PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 13 2019, @04:04PM (#906640)

      Meh, limeys did it before.

      • (Score: 2) by Username on Sunday October 13 2019, @11:03PM

        by Username (4557) on Sunday October 13 2019, @11:03PM (#906756)

        Yeah, but we liberated it from them during the great amexit of 1776.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 13 2019, @10:07PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 13 2019, @10:07PM (#906735)

    Just like the new trains here in Sydney when you're stuck in commute, you're essentially in a tuna can with no escape. I missed the days where public transport had manual windows and doors...

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 14 2019, @01:16AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 14 2019, @01:16AM (#906798)

      We live in a society. There is no escape.

    • (Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday October 14 2019, @03:17PM

      by Freeman (732) on Monday October 14 2019, @03:17PM (#906964) Journal

      Passenger comfort had to be reduced due to cost constraints. Worry not, our new and improved sardine personal transportation system is nearly complete

      --
      Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
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