May Mobility, a leading autonomous vehicle (AV) technology company, has announced a strategic partnership with Itochu, a prominent Japanese trading and investment company, to accelerate the global deployment of driverless vehicles. This collaboration will kick off with a joint effort involving BELLSYSTEM24, a customer experience and business process outsourcing provider within Itochu’s portfolio.
The primary goal of this partnership is to facilitate the deployment of thousands of autonomous vehicles and cater to millions of riders through May Mobility’s innovative Tele-assist and Rider Support platforms. May Mobility’s Tele-assist platform, powered by its cutting-edge Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) driving technology, significantly reduces the need for human intervention.
Unlike traditional tele-driving systems that require direct control or operation of autonomous vehicles, Tele-assist enables a single remote monitor to oversee multiple vehicles simultaneously, enhancing both safety and scalability. May Mobility’s CEO and founder, Edwin Olson, emphasized the importance of prioritizing safety in autonomous operations, stating that the company’s approach aims to optimize efficiency while maintaining a strong focus on safety.
The partnership will leverage BELLSYSTEM24’s four decades of expertise and proprietary operation management system, which includes advanced AI capabilities for issue identification and resolution. By integrating May Mobility’s platforms with BELLSYSTEM24’s support infrastructure, the collaboration aims to create a tailored solution to support the company’s expansion in both the US and Japan.
Masato Horiuchi, COO of Itochu’s ICT Division, highlighted the unique strengths that the partnership brings, including access to geographical data and the development of IT infrastructure. This comprehensive approach will further enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of driverless operations in the target markets.
In addition to the partnership with Itochu, May Mobility recently signed agreements with Lyft and Uber to deploy autonomous vehicles in multiple US markets. These agreements mark significant milestones in the company’s expansion strategy, with plans to introduce thousands of autonomous vehicles on both platforms in the near future.
Overall, the strategic partnership between May Mobility and Itochu represents a significant step towards advancing the global deployment of autonomous vehicles, with a strong emphasis on safety, efficiency, and scalability. By leveraging each other’s strengths and expertise, the two companies aim to revolutionize the future of transportation through innovative AV technologies.
