Japanese brand Muji and Finnish autonomous-driving company Sensible 4 launched the self-driving Gacha bus last week in Helsinki, which is fit for all weather conditions.
First revealed as renders just four months ago, the driverless Gacha shuttle bus has now made its maiden journey, which took place in front of the Helsinki Central Library Oodi in the Finnish capital on 8 March.

According to Muji and Sensible 4, it is the first autonomous bus in the world that is able to drive in all types of weather, including heavy rain, fog and snow.
The bus is expected to begin operating for the general public in Espoo, Finland, in April this year, before being rolled out to Hämeenlinna, Vantaa and Helsinki later in 2019.

"The Gacha development got started when the Sensible 4 team, working back then with the first generation of robot buses, noticed that they just don't perform at all even in light rain, not to mention the typical winter conditions in Finland," said Sensible 4 CEO Harri Santamala.
"Completely autonomous self-driving technology is not here yet. Most self-driving cars can operate only in ideal weather conditions and well-marked roads."
"This is what Sensible 4 has managed to change through repeated tests in the harsh winter conditions of the Finnish Lapland," Santamala added.

Users can order the on-demand bus via a ride-hailing app on their smartphone, and simply get on when it approaches them.
It also connects them with existing tran...