Tokyo Metro and NAVITIME Japan have launched the full-scale provision of “Seat-seat route search” and “Seat-friendly train guidance” for paid members of the “Norikae NAVITIME” application (Android/iOS version), which enhances travel comfort.
This function utilizes “seating probability” (i.e., ease of sitting) estimated from train data, etc., and can be used when a route search result includes Tokyo Metro lines. The “Seat Friendly Car Guide” has been provided on a trial basis for about one and a half years, and it is now possible to predict with a high degree of accuracy “where and how much seating is possible”.
A new function has also been added that displays a bar indicating the expected value of how many minutes of the entire ride there is a chance of being seated (also available to free members) and a function that suggests routes that offer longer seatings.
With a view to expanding the service to lines other than the Tokyo Metro lines, the company is also developing a new technology to collect vehicle data through AI image recognition without requiring any modification of the vehicles.
© Source travel watch