UK self-driving firm Wayve expands with test centre in Japan

22 April 2025 - 08:10 By Reuters
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Wayve said the new centre will allow it to speed up the development of AI-powered driving software in collaboration with carmakers and support testing and developing of the technology in Tokyo and surrounding regions.
Wayve said the new centre will allow it to speed up the development of AI-powered driving software in collaboration with carmakers and support testing and developing of the technology in Tokyo and surrounding regions.
Image: Wayve

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 carmakers and support testing and developing of the technology in Tokyo and surrounding regions.

"By incorporating training data from Japan's complex road environments, Wayve will strengthen the generalisation of its foundation model and enhance adaptability across global markets," Wayve said in a statement.

Japan's third-biggest carmaker Nissan said this month its next -generation autonomous driving technology to be launched in fiscal 2027 will feature software supplied by Wayve.

Wayve, backed by SoftBank Group, is also testing its technology in the UK, Germany, the US 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.


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