Beyond Uber, taxis now point to AI: Japan in the front line

Reduce waiting times and optimize service: this is the goal of the partnership between Accenture, Toyota, Japan Taxi and Kddi. An algorithm and an app help drivers to get accurate forecasts and plan the day's work Among the potentialities of artificial intelligence applied to the automotive world is that of revolutionizing the taxi service, making it more efficient and optimizing it on the basis of demand. This is what is being experienced in Japan with the pilot project involving Accenture, Toyota, Japan Taxi, and Kddi, with the first tests underway in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The system born from this collaboration, which in the first tests has reached a level of accuracy of 94% compared to the information it is able to provide to drivers, makes it possible to develop forecasts about the demand for taxi services using artificial intelligence, thanks to integration of booking log data with demographic forecasts and information related to other factors, such as scheduled events in the city, which influence service demand, crossing them with the timing and availability of public transport. As they are processed, forecasts are displayed by tablet drivers on a tablet, thanks to a dedicated app, and allow them to oversee areas where demand is superior, reducing customer waiting time and increasing sales. The role of Accenture in the pilot project was mainly in the definition of the project requirements together with the 3 partner companies, and in the development of the analysis algorithm for artificial intelligence. The experiment started in February on the means of Nihon Kotsu, a subsidiary of Japan Taxi: a map on the tablet of taxi drivers shows them the predictions on the number of taxis that will be occupied in different areas of the city, allowing them to position themselves where they consider it more convenient. Source www.corrierecomunicazioni.it