Fujitsu and Nagoya Univ Develop Tech to Fix Transit Gaps

Fujitsu Limited and Nagoya University, part of THERS, have teamed up to create a new simulation technology. This tech aims to boost the use of new transportation services and tackle mobility gaps. The new system, named the Social Acceptance Model-Based Simulation (SAMSIM), looks at how mental factors influence people’s openness to services like ride-sharing and self-driving cars. SAMSIM, when used with AI-driven digital rehearsal technology, helps test strategies early. This ensures smooth service implementation.

Aging populations and fewer drivers are a growing issue. So, solutions like ride-sharing and self-driving cars are getting more attention. Public acceptance of these services relies on how people feel about them. Key factors include safety, trust, and perceived value. To encourage wider use, we need to understand the psychological factors. Then, we can create initiatives that effectively change behavior.

SAMSIM simulations showed that smart public awareness campaigns can boost service use intent by about 20%. This development is a key achievement of the Fujitsu-Nagoya University Social Digital Twin Research Division. It is based at the Fujitsu Small Research Lab. You can see a public demo of the technology on the Fujitsu Research Portal starting August 1, 2025.

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Nagoya University created the Social Acceptance Model. This model looks at the psychological reasons people choose different forms of transportation. This model works with Fujitsu’s agent-based simulation platform. It uses digital twin technology to imitate and forecast how people behave in real life. This integration helps researchers test how well interventions work. This includes things like targeted advertising or offering more services.

Fujitsu tested the system’s effectiveness using data from a 2023 field trial. This trial was for an on-demand ride-sharing taxi service in Kawanishi Town, Nara Prefecture. The project was conducted in collaboration with CHUO FUKKEN CONSULTANTS CO., LTD. Nagoya University conducted a 48-point survey with around 1,200 residents. This group represents about 15% of the town’s population. The survey aimed to understand the psychological factors that affect people’s willingness to use the service.

The SAMSIM model matched how residents use the on-demand transportation service. It achieved a high accuracy rate of 90%.

富士通株式会社 そして Nagoya University used these insights to improve two main strategies. They focused on raising public awareness and increasing vehicle availability. These changes are based on two key psychological factors: service awareness and perceived usefulness. The simulation showed that better timing and more frequent promotion of materials, plus more taxis, could cut booking failures and boost usage intent by about 20%. These changes should greatly help make on-demand transportation services sustainable in the long run.