Four days after the Tokyo Paralympic Games, Toyota removed his self-driving e-pallet vehicles from the incident following a collision with a pedestrian. The automaker made the decision on Friday Reuters, a day after one of the capsules hit a visually impaired athlete who was walking nearby.
According to a Video statement by Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda, reported by Reuters, the vehicle had stopped at an intersection and was about to turn under the manual control of an on-board crew when it hit the pedestrian at a mile or two. The athlete’s identity was not disclosed to the public.
Toyota announced first his plans to use e-pallets at the October 2019 Games before the coronavirus pandemic forced Olympic Games organizers to postpone the 2020 Games for a year. The plan was to provide a fleet of 20 vehicles, each of which could travel on a dedicated loop at up to 19 km / h. Notably, the plan also included a human security officer on board in case something should go wrong.
Toyota also said at the time that the vehicles were adapted for the Paralympic Games, with an electric ramp on each vehicle and space for up to four wheelchairs. In addition, Toyota has adapted some of the interior elements of the e-pallet to accommodate color-blind passengers.
The injured man does not appear to have been seriously injured. After receiving medical attention, they reportedly went back to their home. The athlete is now expected to compete on Saturday at 10.30 a.m. local time.
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