What happened
Rakuten GORA and partners Mitsubishi Electric, Aisan Technology and ESSJ started a demonstration on the 19th at Higashishō Golf Club in Chiba, using carts capped at 19km/h.
Why it matters
If the carts can carry golfers safely through a full round, the partners plan to offer services such as easier access to the ball and heatstroke prevention, according to the companies.
WHO IT HITSGolf course operators and golfers may see self-driving carts that reduce physical strain and heatstroke risk, though the service is still in the demonstration phase.
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The demonstration brings together four companies with different specialties: Rakuten GORA provides the golf course booking platform and develops software for golf courses, Mitsubishi Electric contributes autonomous driving control software, Aisan Technology supplies map data and safety evaluation, and ESSJ provides the vehicle base and sensor evaluation. The cart's maximum speed of 19km/h and its ability to follow routes with centimeter-level precision are intended to allow flexible route planning that minimizes damage to the fairway grass. Beyond the technology, the partners are eyeing services that improve the golfing experience, such as plans that make it easier for golfers to reach their ball, and health measures like heatstroke prevention and reducing the physical load during a round. The experiment at Higashishō Golf Club will test whether these goals can be met in a real golf course setting.
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