Session 4：実証から社会実装へ向かう自動運転

Dr. Takashi Hikasa is an Associate Professor at Tama University and Head of its ELSI Center. He also serves as a Board Director of the MobilityInnovation Alliance. He holds a Ph.D. in Law from Chuo University.•His research focuses on the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) of emerging mobility technologies, including automated vehicles, deliveryrobots, personal mobility vehicles, and humanoid robots. He examines how these technologies can share public spaces with pedestrians andother road users, with particular attention to priority, responsibility, fairness, and cooperation.•He advances an “ELSI-in” approach, translating societal needs and concerns into technical requirements and operational practices from theearly stages of development. His empirical research combines social acceptance surveys, field trials, and behavioral analysis to understandhow experiences with new mobility services influence trust, willingness to use them, and cooperative behavior.•Dr. Hikasa leads research projects supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.His work connects legal and ethical analysis with engineering, public policy, and community engagement, contributing to practical guidancefor inclusive mobility deployment.•As a Japanese expert in ISO/TC 241 Working Group 6, he contributes to international standardization concerning the ethical aspects ofautomated driving, including ISO 39003. His book on social acceptance of Level 4 automated driving received Japan’s Transportation BookAward.•Through collaboration with universities, industry, local governments, and international partners, he seeks to develop governance frameworksthat support safe, equitable, and cooperative mobility in increasingly diverse traffic environments.

Kouhei Umeno joined TIER IV in 2024 and currently serves as Division Manager of the Business Development Division, where he leads business development and partnerships to advance the deployment of autonomous driving technology. Prior to joining TIER IV, he was engaged in business development and project management at Mitsui & Co. He was later seconded to an overseas mobility company, where he served as an executive and led sales and business development. He graduated from Kyushu University.

William “Billy” Riggs is a Professor at the University of San Francisco and Director of the Autonomous Vehicles and the City Initiative. His research focuses on autonomous mobility, transportation innovation, Physical AI, public-sector governance, curb and public-space management, and the social and institutional implications of emerging technology. He works at the intersection of cities, technology, and policy, with particular interest in how autonomous systems can be integrated into transportation networks while advancing safety, accessibility, sustainability, resilience, and public value.
Riggs has led research and advisory work with cities, transportation agencies, universities, and industry partners in the United States, Europe, and Asia. His recent work includes research on automated-vehicle deployment and safety, passenger experience and public trust, transit integration, vehicle-miles traveled and congestion, emergency-response interactions, urban curb operations, and city readiness for Physical AI. He also serves in international advisory and research roles related to connected, cooperative, and automated mobility.
He is the author of End of the Road: Reimagining the Street as the Heart of the City and has published widely on transportation, urban planning, public space, and emerging mobility technologies. His current work develops an Urban Physical AI Readiness framework for understanding how cities can govern AI systems that increasingly act in the physical world.

Dr. Satu Innamaa works as Principal Scientist at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. She has over 25 years of experience in research on transport and mobility, connected and automated driving, impact and quality assessment, and user needs. Currently, she is leading the methodology and evaluation related activities in the European projects CCAMbassador and Pre-LSDemo.

Masayuki Ogita joined Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc. (MRI) in 2024 and currently works as a consultant in the fields of autonomous driving and mobility services. He is engaged in research on emerging technologies, demonstration projects, and business model development, with a particular focus on the real-world deployment of autonomous driving. His work covers a broad range of topics, including autonomous mobility services, vehicle-infrastructure cooperation, and the operational and institutional frameworks required for deployment. Through these projects, he supports government agencies and private-sector clients in addressing technical, operational, and business challenges related to next-generation mobility. He holds a master’s degree from the Graduate School of Science and Technology at Keio University.