The self-driving car prototypes from Google and Toyota offer the promise of safer highways, fewer accidents, and possibly even less traffic congestion. But a new vehicle from Japan's Hitachi has radically reduced the form factor, essentially delivering a personal chariot that doesn't require the passenger's direct control or attention.

Dubbed the ROPITS (Robot for Personal Intelligent Transport System), the vehicle was designed to address the needs of Japan's rapidly increasing population of elderly citizens, and otherwise physically challenged individuals. What makes the ROPITS particularly unique is that it can be remotely directed to drop off and pick up passengers, all from a tablet computer. Once the owner uses the tablet to summon the vehicle, it uses an array of front- and back-mounted gyro sensors and a GPS system to map a route to the owner's location.

Powered by an electric engine and capable of speeds of up to six miles per hour, the ROPITS is also equipped with a special stereoscopic camera and laser distance sensor that allows it to avoid pedestrians and monitor overall road conditions. And while the vehicle is built to withstand travel on normal roads, it was primarily designed to operate on sidewalks and pedestrian thoroughfares.

Earlier this week, the ROPITS was demonstrated for members of the local media in Tsukuba, Japan. During the demo, a Hitachi representative walked directly into the path of the ROPITS and it easily avoided hitting the person as the passenger sat inside with no control over the vehicle. However, if the passenger wanted to take control of the vehicle, the ROPITS comes equipped with a joystick mechanism that makes steering easy for those with limited movement.

Hitachi has not announced a commercial launch date for the vehicle in Japan, and there's no word on if this will ever make it to the U.S., but in the meantime you can see the ROPITS in action in the video below.

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