"Automated, Autonomous and Driverless" : German-Japanese Symposium on Driver Assistance Systems and Autonomous Driving

The event, aiming to provide a platform for established and young researchers and other experts from Germany and Japan to meet and exchange views on cutting-edge technology and the current state of R&D, was co-organized by the German Research and Innovation Forum Tokyo and the Consortium for Co-creation for Drone Collaborative Society at Keio Research Institute at Shonan-Fujisawa Campus (SFC), Keio University.

Director Margret Wintermantel of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) gave the opening speech, stressing the importance of autonomous driving for both Germany and Japan as well the importance of cooperation in the field.

Representatives from various German and Japanese research organizations, including Keio University, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Kanazawa University, each then gave an informative overview of the topic and strategies to advance autonomous driving. The topics ranged from the limitation of risks and human error to the different test methods for vehicles.

Throughout the last session of the symposium, “Perspectives from Industry,” representative from leading German and Japanese companies, including Continental, Mercedes-Benz, Bosch and DeNA, gave presentation on the current development and future challenges in the development of autonomous vehicles.

During the reception following the main event, participants had the chance to talk to the speakers and exchange views on the topic in a relaxing atmosphere.