Japanese auto company Toyota has adapted a fleet of its autonomous and electric e-Palette vehicles to serve athletes in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Toyota based its modifications of the e-Palette design on feedback from athletes, especially paralympians, to better suit the vehicle to their needs for fuss-free and comfortable transport.
This involved upgrading the multi-purpose vehicle to have larger doors, lower floors and electric ramps that allow passengers ? particularly wheelchair users ? to board easily and quickly.

The Tokyo 2020 version of the e-Palette will run a loop service around the athletes' villages to transport competitors and staff around the area.
The cuboid-shaped vehicle boasts a long wheelbase and flat floor that enables it to accommodate up to four people in wheelchairs and up to seven standing passengers at the same time. The e-Palette's interiors also feature handrails and seats that are easy to use for passengers of all heights, while components such as the floor, seats and trim have contrasting colours to cater to people with colour-blindness.

The vehicle will be controlled by a specially designed automated driving-system that uses control hardware, software and advanced sensors, including cameras and laser-operated LiDAR (light detection and ranging).
These features, combined with 3D-mapping technology and an operation management system, will offer low-speed automated driving at SAE level four.
SAE, which stands for society of au...