Prime-WoW

MGM May Become “Sole Operator” in Japan Casino Market

No Clarity on Nagasaki Casino Resort

The post Finalizing Plans for Osaka Casino Resort appeared first on Akihabara News.

Source: Akihabara News – Finalizing Plans for Osaka Casino Resort

Okada Manila Enters Legal Battle with Spurned US Partner

Posted on July 9, 2023 by Xordac Prime

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Battle lines have been drawn between Tokyo-based Universal Entertainment Corporation and Miami-based 26 Capital Acquisition Corporation over their October 2021 agreement which would have seen the Okada Manila casino resort listed on the Nasdaq stock market in New York.

The original agreement called for a merger between Universal’s main subsidiary in the Philippines–Tiger Resorts Asia–and 26 Capital Acquisition, a special purpose acquisition company, which would allow the casino resort to be listed on the Nasdaq. The enterprise value for Okada Manila was set at US$2.6 billion, and the agreement involved involved a cash injection of US$275 million.

The October 2021 press release noted that “the transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2022.”

However, this merger schedule was derailed in April 2022 when the Supreme Court of the Philippines ordered that the controversial former owner of both Universal Entertainment and Tiger Resorts, billionaire Kazuo Okada, be restored to the executive role which he had played before being removed under a cloud of scandal in 2017. From the end of May to early September 2022, agents of Okada temporarily seized control of the Okada Manila resort by force.

During that three-month occupation, 26 Capital Acquisition Chairman and CEO Jason Ader made a number of public statements which appeared to be fully supportive of Universal Entertainment.

After Universal Entertainment, backed by the Philippine National Police, seized back control of the casino resort in September, the way appeared to be clear for the agreed merger to proceed and for Okada Manila to gain its Nasdaq listing.

However, months ticked by with no forward movement, and confirmation that matters had gone awry became clear when 26 Capital Acquisition filed a lawsuit this February in the US state of Delaware against Universal Entertainment alleging that the Tokyo firm was unreasonably dragging its feet on consummating the planned merger.

That trial is scheduled to begin today.

Universal Entertainment had been quiet about its own position on its dispute with 26 Capital Acquisition, but that public silence ended dramatically at the end of June with a four-page statement announcing the termination of the October 2021 merger agreement. Universal Entertainment explained that it “came to consider that 26 Capital, during the course of the conclusion of the merger agreement and implementation of transactions under the merger agreement, made material breaches of the merger agreement and engaged in fraudulent misconduct through various misstatements and unauthorized disclosure of confidential information.”

Calabrese Consulting, an accounting firm which advises special purpose acquisition companies, was named as an organization which had allegedly been provided confidential information by 26 Capital Acquisition.

Universal Entertainment also complained that Ader “gave interviews to news outlets in late 2022” without gaining their advance consent, and that he had posted about the merger on his Twitter account.

They also alleged that Ader “pursued a campaign to push the merger to close at all costs, even in violation of US securities laws, because Mr. Jason Ader has extreme financial incentives to close the merger.”

26 Capital Acquisition responded with a short statement last Wednesday, arguing that it “believes that the termination notice is baseless. 26 Capital believes that Tiger Resorts and its affiliates have engaged in repeated contractual breaches to avoid closing, which is the subject of a pending Delaware litigation going to trial on July 10.”

Recent Integrated Resorts Related Articles

Osaka Police Raid Amusement Casinos

MGM May Become “Sole Operator” in Japan Casino Market

SLT Aims to Produce Six-Seater Flying Car

Japanese Casino Mogul Faces Prison

The post Okada Manila Enters Legal Battle with Spurned US Partner appeared first on Akihabara News.

Source: Akihabara News – Okada Manila Enters Legal Battle with Spurned US Partner

SkyDrive Flying Car Gains Weight

Posted on June 23, 2023 by Xordac Prime

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — SkyDrive’s ambition to become Japan’s leading eVTOL (flying car) company gained additional weight with a flurry of important new partnerships and a crucial design change.

When it was announced over a year ago that SkyDrive was linking up with storied auto and motorcycle maker Suzuki Motor Corporation on technology research and development, manufacturing plans, and mass-production systems, it already sounded quite promising, though few details were provided.

This week it was revealed that SkyDrive would be establishing a wholly-owned manufacturing subsidiary firm which would utilize a Suzuki facility in Shizuoka Prefecture to mass produce its first line of eVTOL aircraft.

At the same time, it was revealed that the SkyDrive eVTOL is gaining size and weight over the original SD-05 design, and becoming a three-seater (not a two-seater) with a longer flight range.

In fact, the entire configuration has altered to some degree. The company appears to be dropping the designation “SD-05” altogether in favor of an eVTOL aircraft which will be branded simply as “SkyDrive.”

This new design is about 40% larger than the original SD-05 specifications, with about double the anticipated flight range at 15 kilometers. The extra seat will allow a pilot to transport two passengers to their objective, making the vehicle more practical for consumer taxi services.

Mass production of the SkyDrive eVTOL is now expected to begin next spring.

In the initial announcement of the SkyDrive-Suzuki partnership last year, it was stated that India would become the “initial focus” for the aircraft, but the new statements make no reference to this earlier notion.

Thales to Provide Flight Control System

Also announced this week is that the French firm Thales has been tapped to provide the flight control system for the SkyDrive eVTOL.

Arnaud Coville, SkyDrive’s chief development officer, explained that “Thales’s flight controls have long been trusted in the aviation industry. As an eVTOL manufacturer, SkyDrive values safety above all, and we believe that partnering with Thales in flight control, which is a key safety-related technology, will enable us to achieve the safety objectives of our aircraft.”

Recent eVTOL Industry Related Articles

Nidec to Build Flying Car Engines

Island Hopping Flying Car Over Okinawa Prefecture

Toray Bids to Become Leading Supplier for eVTOLs

SLT Aims to Produce Six-Seater Flying Car

The post SkyDrive Flying Car Gains Weight appeared first on Akihabara News.

Source: Akihabara News – SkyDrive Flying Car Gains Weight

Nidec to Build Flying Car Engines

Posted on June 22, 2023 by Xordac Prime

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Japan’s eVTOL (flying car) industry gained serious firepower this week as it was revealed that the Nidec Corporation, the nation’s leading engine specialist, will start building eVTOL propulsion systems.

Nidec is setting up a subsidiary in the United States that will be named Nidec Aerospace. The Kyoto-based firm is taking a 51% stake in this subsidiary, with Brazil’s regional jet manufacturer Embraer becoming the minority partner.

Embraer, through its own subsidiary Eve Air Mobility, is developing its own original eVTOL model, and it is now planned that Eve will become the first customer for the engines produced by the Nidec Aerospace joint venture.

Nidec Aerospace will have its headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, and production facilities for the electric engines in Mexico and Brazil.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“The joint venture is a natural extension of both companies’ respective and continual investments in green technologies across multiple industries to accelerate global carbon neutrality,” commented Nidec Senior Vice President and President of the Motion & Energy Business Unit Michael Briggs. “We are proud to be partnered with Embraer, and are confident that Nidec Aerospace will spearhead the electrification of aircraft with our shared drive, complementary expertise, and wide breadth of technical and manufacturing capabilities.”

Nidec’s legendary Chairman and CEO Shigenobu Nagamori noted at this week’s annual meeting that for the venture to succeed “certification is the most important thing,” pointing to the fact that no eVTOL has yet been authorized to take to the skies and to transport passengers.

Recent eVTOL Industry Related Articles

Island Hopping Flying Car Over Okinawa Prefecture

Toray Bids to Become Leading Supplier for eVTOLs

Clarifying Electric Vehicle Terminology

The post Nidec to Build Flying Car Engines appeared first on Akihabara News.

Source: Akihabara News – Nidec to Build Flying Car Engines

Toyota Falling Off a Cliff

Posted on June 18, 2023 by Xordac Prime

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) announced last week that Toyota Motor Corporation would be receiving a special taxpayer subsidy of about ¥118 billion (US$840 million) to develop cutting-edge electric vehicle (EV) batteries. It was a tacit admission of an enormous strategic misstep.

“I hope large-scale investments by Toyota and others will significantly strengthen our country’s battery supply chain,” stated METI Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura.

Soft-pedaled by the Japanese media was the obvious question–why should the world’s largest automaker, which possesses enormous resources, need to dip into the public purse for battery development at all?

The answer is that Toyota has spent long years dismissing the idea that EVs should or would become the main technology of the future. They largely squandered their lead in the past decades, scoffing at Tesla and other rising EV challengers.

Akio Toyoda, in particular, has long been adamant that hybrid internal combustion engines still have decades of dominance ahead of them, that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have more potential, and that the EV evangelists are misguided.

But in last week’s annual meeting, all the headlines were about Toyota initiatives to develop and sell new lines of EVs. Toyota’s own shareholders have become restive about its EV skepticism, and some are even demanding more information about how the company has been lobbying around the world against government measures to address the climate crisis.

Abetted by a Japanese news media which is loathe to take on a national industrial champion–probably a key source of advertising revenues for most of them as well–Toyota looks like it is now trying to shift its long-held stance without being called out within Japan over its epic miscalculation.

But it is already too late. Chinese EV-makers such as BYD, SAIC, Geely, Nio, and XPeng are poised to become for global markets what Toyota itself was in the 1970s; the cheap, consumer-friendly, environmentally-responsible alternative which reshapes the automotive industry, making most of the older players look obsolete and out-of-touch.

EV charging stations and other infrastructure is becoming more robust in many nations. Countries are not building out fuel cell vehicle infrastructure on anything like the same scale.

Toyota will, of course, get a slice of the EV pie. In the current climate, it may also receive some benefits by playing on Sinophobic political forces. But as in almost every other industry, in automobiles as well there’s little reason to believe that Japan will continue to function as a top leader, but only as a niche middling power.

Recent Electric Vehicle Related Articles

Toyota Transformation Doubtful

High-Tech Cars Will Afeela Good

Mini EVs Prove Good Fit for Japan

JTB Goes Big Into EV Charging

The post Toyota Falling Off a Cliff appeared first on Akihabara News.

Source: Akihabara News – Toyota Falling Off a Cliff

SLT Aims to Produce Six-Seater Flying Car

Posted on June 15, 2023 by Xordac Prime

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Sky Link Technologies (SLT), a small private company based in Kobe, has emerged as another Japanese company aiming to develop its own original model of flying cars (eVTOL), in this case a six-seater aircraft.

While it is difficult to gauge at this juncture how seriously this initiative should be taken, this company is being promoted in conjunction with the 2025 World Expo in neighboring Osaka, perhaps with an eye toward attracting significant investment and other financial support for the project.

SLT’s ambitious concept is to build a tilt-wing lift and cruise aircraft which will have a flight range of about 1,400 kilometers. While the precise nature of its planned propulsion system has not been clarified, company leaders have mentioned a “micro gas turbine rotor.”

The company website further explains: “we prioritize environmental considerations by enabling the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and plan to swiftly transition to fully electric operations once battery performance has improved sufficiently.”

According to the published timeline, the SLT aircraft will not be ready for the market until the 2030s.

The project’s roots go back to 2016 and the formation of a volunteer group called Personal Plane Kaihatsu Project (PPKP) which released some early concept images. A business license was obtained in 2019 and development became more earnest.

SLT is only now beginning to receive significant attention from the local media in the Kansai region. A feature story broadcast this week on Osaka television, for example, profiled SLT’s tests of a 1/6 scale model, focusing on the challenge of achieving flight stability during takeoff and landing.

Recent eVTOL Industry Related Articles

Island Hopping Flying Car Over Okinawa Prefecture

Toray Bids to Become Leading Supplier for eVTOLs

The post SLT Aims to Produce Six-Seater Flying Car appeared first on Akihabara News.

Source: Akihabara News – SLT Aims to Produce Six-Seater Flying Car

Apple’s Unaffordable Virtual Reality Headset

Posted on June 11, 2023 by Xordac Prime

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Apple has unveiled its Vision Pro, an advanced Mixed Reality headset. But it comes with a stunningly expensive price tag, putting it out of reach for most general consumers.

Mixed Reality is a kind of Augmented Reality in which the viewer can interact with digital elements of the display.

In recent years, Apple has been planning to capture a leading position in this technology.

Apple has a tendency to release a “pro” version of a new product—targeting professional users first—and later follow up with cheaper consumer versions. This was done, for example, with the Pro Display XDR, an advanced computer screen product which was introduced at the US$4,999 price tag and later made available in less expensive versions.

This appears to be the strategy employed this time as well. Indeed, the fact that Apple named its headset “Vision Pro” implies that there will be a “non-pro” version in the future.

The Vision Pro features a high-resolution micro-OLED display system, advanced audio technology, and two computer chips to support its built-in visionOS system. The headset is also packed with twelve cameras, two sensors, and six microphones to assist user interaction.

According to the company’s demonstration, users are able to control the headset with hand gestures, putting it ahead of its competitors for which remote controllers are required.

The Vision Pro is being launched with a basic price of US$3,499, which compared to its current competitors is strikingly expensive. The price of the popular Virtual Reality headsets on the market today runs only to about US$1,200 in the case of the top-of-the-line HTC Vive Pro 2.

The new Apple headset is expected to begin shipping to customers early next year.

Recent Mixed Reality Related Articles

Something Neuu in Shinjuku

eVTOL VR Flight Experience

Taste The TV

AR to Trick Your Taste Buds

Augmented Reality Contact Lens

The post Apple’s Unaffordable Virtual Reality Headset appeared first on Akihabara News.

Source: Akihabara News – Apple’s Unaffordable Virtual Reality Headset

Island Hopping Flying Car Over Okinawa Prefecture

Posted on June 10, 2023 by Xordac Prime

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — China’s EHang successfully conducted on June 9 what it called “Japan’s first island-hopping flights of an autonomous eVTOL.”

The flight test saw an EHang 216 flying car (eVTOL) travel about two kilometers between Iheya Island and Noho Island, Okinawa Prefecture. These are small, remote islands north of the main island of Okinawa, connected to each other by a narrow land bridge.

EHang’s partners for the Okinawa demonstration were four Japanese firms–Airport Facilities Co., AirX, CTI Engineering, and Japan Airport Consultants.

“It does not require a large landing facility like a helicopter, and it would be a revolution in air transportation. I would like to promote the innovation of aerial tourism in the near future,” commented Takeya Hirano, general manager of the planning and development department of Japan Airport Consultants.

While there are reasons to doubt that the EH216 will become a leading eVTOL model for Japan’s future air taxi business, it has indisputably jumped out into the lead in terms of practical flight tests in the skies over Japan.

Recent eVTOL Industry Related Articles

Toray Bids to Become Leading Supplier for eVTOLs

No Clarity on Nagasaki Casino Resort

The post Island Hopping Flying Car Over Okinawa Prefecture appeared first on Akihabara News.

Source: Akihabara News – Island Hopping Flying Car Over Okinawa Prefecture

Osaka Police Raid Amusement Casinos

Posted on June 8, 2023 by Xordac Prime

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Osaka Prefectural Police conducted a simultaneous raid on over twenty amusement casinos yesterday, suspecting that illegal gambling could be taking place at some of these establishments.

The raids took place in Minami, Osaka, where poker and roulette are enjoyed by patrons without betting money on the outcome of the games.

After the police conducted the surprise inspections, which discovered no major infractions, the officers emphasized to the store managers that it is also illegal to offer prizes to the winners.

The police are alarmed that amusement casinos can become fronts for real gambling after arrests were conducted last week. It was discovered that the NPO Japan Poker Association, which has an official mission of promoting poker as an amusement, may have allowed actual illegal gambling in some cases.

Over twenty people were arrested in that incident, including the NPO’s directors. However, most of the suspects–those who were the possible patrons–were held for only a short time and may not face any charges.

Amusement Casino Boom

Amusement casinos have experienced a boom across Japan since the enactment of the IR Implementation Act in 2018. Outlets can now be found in most urban entertainment districts.

The element which keeps facilities safely within the scope of the entertainment law is that the chips won by patrons cannot be redeemed for cash or prizes, other than to continue playing the games themselves. However, police are concerned that in order to maintain long-term customers, some of these entertainment casinos may sometimes cross the legal line.

These establishments routinely focus on educating Japanese about the rules of playing poker and other card games.

They also attempt to attract customers with the provision of alcoholic drinks, and some of them allow smoking. Other outlets feature female dealers dressed as maids.

Recent Integrated Resorts Related Articles

MGM May Become “Sole Operator” in Japan Casino Market

Universal Regains Control of Okada Manila

Japanese Casino Mogul Faces Prison

The post Osaka Police Raid Amusement Casinos appeared first on Akihabara News.

Source: Akihabara News – Osaka Police Raid Amusement Casinos

Japan Recommits to the Hydrogen Society

Posted on June 7, 2023 by Xordac Prime

Akihabara (Tokyo) — The Japanese government is doubling down on its commitment to hydrogen energy in spite of the many questions which linger over its ability to meet the nation’s climate goals.

“Hydrogen is an industry which can simultaneously provide achievements in decarbonization, the securing of stable energy supplies, and the advancement of economic growth,” declared Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting.

For this purpose, the Kishida administration revised its Basic Hydrogen Strategy. Among other things, the government aims to see Japan’s hydrogen fuel consumption expand by over six times in the coming decades.

It also pledged ¥15 trillion (US$108 billion) of public-private funding to hydrogen supply chains over the next fifteen years.

Not all observers believe that hydrogen should be such a central focus of Japan’s decarbonization strategy.

While hydrogen fuel produces only water when it is combusted, the process of making and transporting the hydrogen itself can involve large-scale carbon emissions.

Green hydrogen–which produces the fuel without contributing to the climate crisis–does exist, but it represents only a tiny fraction of current hydrogen fuel production, and its growth is expected to be slow.

Many suspect that the Japanese government’s continuing attraction to its vision of a “hydrogen society” mainly derives from the influence of big business over policymaking. Large corporations stand to gain considerable profits whether or not the hydrogen industry significantly contributes to overall decarbonization.

Recent Hydrogen Related Articles

Debunking Japan’s Hydrogen Leadership

Hydrogen on Two Wheels

Inpex Explores Australia Green Hydrogen Hubs

Woven City Reveals New Hydrogen Cartridge

Greenwashing the Australia-Japan Hydrogen Chain

The post Japan Recommits to the Hydrogen Society appeared first on Akihabara News.

Source: Akihabara News – Japan Recommits to the Hydrogen Society

West Japan Showroom for Chinese Flying Car

Posted on June 2, 2023 by Xordac Prime

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — The Mizushima Aero & Space Industry Cluster Study Group (MASC) has begun construction on a building which will serve as an educational showroom for the eVTOL (flying car) industry.

The groundbreaking ceremony was held on May 29 at the construction location in Kurashiki city, Okayama, with about twenty people in attendance.

The facility, located in the Bikan Historical Quarter which attracts many domestic and international tourists, will consist of a single glass-enclosed two-story building with a total floor area of about 290 square meters.

It is scheduled to be completed in October this year.

The main attraction will be an operational unit of the China-made EHang 216. The building will also feature a Virtual Reality exhibit where participants can experience simulations of flying within an eVTOL.

MASC, along with its Chinese partners, aims to put eVTOLs into practical use as a means of transportation for people living on the remote islands of the Seto Inland Sea, as well as to provide sightseeing tours to visitors.

Koji Kirino, honorary chairman of MASC, told the national broadcaster in relation to the showroom that it will become “the perfect place to let many people know about flying cars. We want to lead to the development of air logistics and tourism businesses using these aircraft.”

MASC has been organizing some of the first manned eVTOL flights in Japan.

Recent eVTOL Industry Related Articles

Toray Bids to Become Leading Supplier for eVTOLs

2025 World Expo Recruits eVTOL Operators

The post West Japan Showroom for Chinese Flying Car appeared first on Akihabara News.

Source: Akihabara News – West Japan Showroom for Chinese Flying Car

No Clarity on Nagasaki Casino Resort

Posted on June 1, 2023 by Xordac Prime

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — While the Osaka casino resort has been licensed and is moving forward, the trajectory of the smaller project in Sasebo city, Nagasaki Prefecture, remains entirely unclear.

It was well over a year ago in April 2022 that the Nagasaki Prefectural Government submitted its application to the central government to have its Integrated Resort (IR) project at the Huis Ten Bosch theme park licensed for development.

On April 13 of this year the big news came down that the Osaka Yumeshima IR had been granted a license, but that the central government wanted more information before it would make its final determination regarding the Nagasaki IR.

While official explanations remain scarce, it is broadly understood that Tokyo’s main concern is that the Casinos Austria-led IR project may lack the financing to deliver the IR on the scale which has been promised.

At the time the licensing application was filed last April, the plan called for a ¥438 billion (US$3.2 billion) investment, of which about 60% would come from banks and other private financiers. As far as is publicly known, this remains the target figure.

However, skeptics have raised doubts for several years about both the financing arrangements as well as projections of the IR’s anticipated level of profitability.

The credibility of the financing commitments certainly hasn’t been helped by the fact that one of the key lenders which had been lined up is Credit Suisse. This investment bank collapsed earlier this year and was taken over by its rival UBS. Presumably the new owners are now reassessing all of Credit Suisse’s projects, including the Nagasaki IR.

It is believed that the central government will decline to issue a license for the Nagasaki IR until it has been provided convincing evidence that the financing is secure.

Meanwhile, local citizen groups opposed to legalized casino gambling have renewed their protests, submitting a fresh petition to the Sasebo city government calling for a cancellation of the project.

Recent Integrated Resorts Related Articles

MGM May Become “Sole Operator” in Japan Casino Market

Universal Regains Control of Okada Manila

Japanese Casino Mogul Faces Prison

Hong Kong Firm Buys Huis Ten Bosch

The post No Clarity on Nagasaki Casino Resort appeared first on Akihabara News.

Source: Akihabara News – No Clarity on Nagasaki Casino Resort

SkyTaxi Moves to Acquire Korean Flying Cars

Posted on May 28, 2023 by Xordac Prime

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — SkyTaxi (also known as SoratobuTaxi Co.), a company that was formed last year by the Daiho Taxi Group, has decided to take the lead in bringing South Korean eVTOLs (flying cars) into the Japanese market.

In an agreement signed earlier this month, it was decided that Osaka-based SkyTaxi would acquire fifty units of the Plana hybrid eVTOL CP-01, which is currently under development.

The pact calls for the first ten aircraft to be delivered in 2030 and the remaining forty over the succeeding decade.

Commenting on the agreement, SkyTaxi CEO Takuto Hojo stated that “this collaborative project between Plana and SkyTaxi will have a huge impact on the global advanced air mobility industry by players from Asia. We are committed to developing the best business with Plana so that we can be a model case for one of Asia’s leading advanced air mobility industries.

The joint statement issued by the partners explains that “they are preparing to launch air routes that will connect Osaka’s city centers, including Umeda and Namba, world heritage, and sightseeing destinations all over Japan, as well as Kansai and Kobe airports.”

The fact that the Plana aircraft uses a hybrid and not entirely electric propulsion system is expected to set it apart from some of its potential rivals. It is anticipated that it will have a much longer flying range.

Recent eVTOL Industry Related Articles

Toray Bids to Become Leading Supplier for eVTOLs

2025 World Expo Recruits eVTOL Operators

SkyDrive’s Growing Expenditures

The post SkyTaxi Moves to Acquire Korean Flying Cars appeared first on Akihabara News.

Source: Akihabara News – SkyTaxi Moves to Acquire Korean Flying Cars

Robot Labor on the Moon and Mars

Posted on May 25, 2023 by Xordac Prime

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Japan space robotics startup Gitai is experiencing success in attracting funding for its technology development and expansion into the United States, boasting ambitious plans to provide robot labor beyond the confines of the Earth.

The Tokyo-based firm this week reported financing totaling ¥4 billion (US$30 million).

This includes an extension of its Series B funding round, which has so far raised around ¥1.8 billion (US$13 million) over two years.

According to the company, this money will be used to improve technologies for its two-meter long inchworm robotic arm and a lunar rover.

Another part of the proceeds will be used to further extend Gitai’s activities into the United States. To this end, it wants to build out its American workforce and expand its manufacturing and testing capacity.

The company is reportedly in talks with other space industry firms regarding the testing of its lunar rover’s ability to assemble equipment on the Moon’s surface.

According to Gitai Founder and CEO Sho Nakanose, the startup “will provide the most labor for the Moon and Mars, and build infrastructure such as solar panels, communication antennas, fuel generators, and habitation modules.”

A major demonstration is expected to take place in 2026.

Recent Space Industry Related Articles

Moon Crash Portrayed as Success

Japanese Lander Enters Moon Orbit

The H3 Rocket Fails Again

H3 Rocket Disappoints Space Enthusiasts

Mitsui Fudosan Backs Space Industry

The post Robot Labor on the Moon and Mars appeared first on Akihabara News.

Source: Akihabara News – Robot Labor on the Moon and Mars

Driverless Vehicles Hit the Road in Japan

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Xordac Prime

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Fully autonomous vehicles are now driving Japanese public roads for the first time. From May 28, this will become a regular shuttle service for local residents.

This is the first initiative of its kind within Japan’s public transport system, and it has only become possible due to regulatory changes implemented from the beginning of April.

The cart-like vehicle is running in Eiheiji town, Fukui Prefecture, a rural municipality with a population under 20,000 people.

The shuttle services take place on weekends and public holidays along a two-kilometer route. The seven-seat vehicle needs about ten minutes to complete its journey, moving at a top speed of 12 kilometers per hour.

The self-driving vehicle was developed by a consortium led by Yamaha Motor Company.

The Eiheiji town project itself is supported by the national government, which plans to launch similar services in fifty other municipalities over the next two years.

Recent Autonomous Vehicle Related Articles

Woven Planet Buys Carmera

Autonomous Buses for Haneda Airport

Pony.ai Receives US$400 Million from Toyota

The post Driverless Vehicles Hit the Road in Japan appeared first on Akihabara News.

Source: Akihabara News – Driverless Vehicles Hit the Road in Japan

JAL Bringing Wisk Flying Cars to Japan

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Xordac Prime

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Japan Airlines (JAL) has reached an agreement which aims to bring another prominent international flying car firm—Wisk Aero—into the Japan market.

The Wisk Generation 6 eVTOL features a fixed-wing design upon which are mounted six electric turbines. It is being designed for a flight range of over 140 kilometers. This aircraft is expected to transport four passengers per trip and possess additional capacity for carry-on luggage items.

Catherine MacGowan, Wisk’s director for the Asia-Pacific region, explained that “Japan represents a large, densely populated market where air taxi services can provide real, positive impact for local communities. We look forward to further pursuing the potential introduction of our self-flying, all-electric air taxis in Japan, and are encouraged by the growing interest within the broader Asia-Pacific region for these types of services.”

Wisk CEO Brian Yutko added, “We are excited to be partnering with Japan Airlines.”

Included in the agreement is an understanding that JAL will assist Wisk in its effort to gain “type certification” from the national authorities, which will allow the aircraft to be operated within Japan.

The announcement states that Wisk will be working closely with JAL Engineering (JALEC) in particular on issues related to operations of the air taxi service, including maintenance.

No timeline for the introduction of the Wisk eVTOL was provided, but the companies did specify that they are now working on the “development of a path to a demonstration flight in Japan.”

Recent eVTOL Industry Related Articles

Toray Bids to Become Leading Supplier for eVTOLs