Bus or Train? World’s First ‘Dual-Mode Vehicle’ to Begin Operating in Japan

The DMV looks like a minibus and runs on normal rubber tires on the road. (Reuters)
The DMV looks like a minibus and runs on normal rubber tires on the road. (Reuters)
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Bus or Train? World’s First ‘Dual-Mode Vehicle’ to Begin Operating in Japan

The DMV looks like a minibus and runs on normal rubber tires on the road. (Reuters)
The DMV looks like a minibus and runs on normal rubber tires on the road. (Reuters)

It's a bus, it's a train, it's a DMV! The world's first dual-mode vehicle, equally at home on road and rail, is set to make its public debut on Saturday in the town of Kaiyo in Japan's Tokushima prefecture.

The DMV looks like a minibus and runs on normal rubber tires on the road. But when it arrives at an interchange, steel wheels descend from the vehicle's underbelly onto the rail track, effectively turning it into a train carriage.

The train wheels lift the front tires off the track while the rear wheels stay down to propel the DMV onto the railway.

The CEO of Asa Coast Railway company, which operates the DMVs, said the vehicles could help small towns like Kaiyo with an ageing and shrinking population, where local transport companies struggle to make a profit.

"This (DMV) can reach the locals (as a bus), and carry them onto the railway as well," CEO Shigeki Miura told Reuters on Friday. "Especially in rural areas with an ageing population, we expect it to be a very good form of public transport."

The DMV can carry up to 21 passengers and runs at a speed of 60km/h (37 mph) on rail tracks and can go as fast as around 100km/h (62 mph) on public roads, Asa Coast Railway said.

Powered by diesel fuel, the small fleet of vehicles, which come in different colors, will run along part of the coast of Shikoku island in southern Japan, connecting several small towns and offering passengers attractive seaside scenery.

Miura said he hoped the project would encourage railway fans from around Japan to visit.



Saudi, Kuwaiti AI Associations Partner to Advance Regional AI Governance

The agreement represents the first international MoU signed by the AIGA - SPA
The agreement represents the first international MoU signed by the AIGA - SPA
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Saudi, Kuwaiti AI Associations Partner to Advance Regional AI Governance

The agreement represents the first international MoU signed by the AIGA - SPA
The agreement represents the first international MoU signed by the AIGA - SPA

The Artificial Intelligence Governance Association (AIGA), under the technical supervision of the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA), has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Kuwaiti Association of Artificial Intelligence of Things.

The deal aims to foster collaboration in developing and implementing AI governance standards, sharing expertise, and driving scientific research and innovation in Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT).

The agreement represents the first international MoU signed by the AIGA, signaling the beginning of expanded efforts to promote the responsible governance of advanced technologies, according to SPA.

The partnership reflects the commitment of both associations to support regional initiatives in AI technology development, enhance governance frameworks, and exchange knowledge, ultimately advancing a responsible and sustainable innovation ecosystem that benefits communities and supports national and regional efforts toward a knowledge-based economy driven by advanced technologies.