The automated cargo conveyor system operating day and night will significantly reduce emissions and address the soaring demand for transportation services.
(Video: IFL Science).
Six decades after the first bullet train began passenger service between Tokyo and Osaka, Japanese authorities are planning a similar initiative for cargo transport through the construction of an automated “conveyor belt road”. This automated cargo transport corridor connecting Tokyo with Osaka (515 km) is part of a solution to meet the skyrocketing demand for transportation services in the world’s fourth largest economy, according to the Guardian. Planners also hope this new road will alleviate pressure on transport drivers amidst a chronic labor shortage affecting everything from dining and retail to cargo transport and public transit.
The new road will reduce carbon emissions, according to Yuri Endo, an official from the Ministry of Transport overseeing the project. “We need to innovate our approach to road transport,” Endo shared. “The key idea of the automated road is to create space within the road network for cargo transport, utilizing a 24-hour unmanned transport system.”
A graphic video shared by the Japanese government illustrates large containers on shelves, each capable of carrying one ton, moving closely together along the automated conveyor belt in the middle of the highway, while vehicles travel in the opposite direction on both sides. Automated forklifts will load goods onto containers within a network connecting airports, railways, and seaports. Testing is set to begin in 2027 or early 2028, with the full operation of the road expected by the middle of the century.
Simulation of the conveyor belt road operation.
Although there is no official estimate yet, the conveyor belt between Tokyo and Osaka is projected to cost $23.69 billion due to the extensive number of tunnels required. If successful, the project could expand to include more locations across Japan. However, human involvement will still be necessary for last-mile delivery until the use of unmanned vehicles becomes feasible.
The Japanese Ministry of Transport estimates that these conveyor belt systems could perform the work of 25,000 truck drivers daily. The shortage of truck drivers, responsible for transporting about 90% of Japan’s goods, is expected to worsen following the implementation of new laws limiting overtime hours this year to reduce accident rates.
