Miraikan, Alps Alpine, Omron, and IBM Japan are all full members of the Next Generation Mobility Assistance Technology Development Consortium, a general incorporated association that jointly develops a navigation robot for the visually impaired called the “AI Suitcase,” and have developed a model equipped with new functions such as a new wheel mechanism and sensors.

In the future, they plan to further improve the accuracy of navigation and develop new functions such as voice dialogue by AI, and conduct a full-scale demonstration experiment at the Osaka-Kansai Expo.

Until now, commercially available suitcases have been used for the body of the AI ​​suitcase, but this time a new original design has been developed. New functions have been added, such as a new wheel mechanism with improved ability to overcome steps, a sensor that recognizes low-lying obstacles, and a disk-shaped direction display device on the handle.
The AI ​​suitcase also comes equipped with an AI voice function that uses a camera mounted on it to recognize images of the surrounding area and announces information about nearby buildings, road conditions, and pedestrians.
Several units are scheduled to be in operation simultaneously at the Expo site from April to October.

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