GACHA proposes the future of mobility

Vantaa is part of the Helsinki metropolitan area in Finland. It is about 30 minutes by train from downtown Helsinki, where the historical streetscape remains. It is a compact city with a population of 200,000, and has undergone significant development over the past 10 years, with new urban areas being added. In Vantaa, you can test drive the self-driving shuttle bus "GACHA." I immediately flew to Finland in the middle of winter.

 

The day of the interview was a gray, rainy day. Everything in sight was a dull gray, typical of winter in Northern Europe. As I was standing at the station, a compact vehicle with a cute, smooth form slid into the rotary, mixing with the usual city buses. It was the much talked about GACHA, developed by the university-based startup and Finnish robotics company Sensible 4, and designed by MUJI of Japan.

 

The doors slid open automatically and I got in, where I was greeted by Sensible 4 members Tiim and Elt. As I folded up my umbrella, I joked, "It's nice weather today, isn't it?" to which they replied with a wry smile, "In Finland, it's like this all year round, the weather changes all the time."

The project was inspired by Finland's bad weather. Public transportation is less developed in regional cities and suburban areas than in urban areas. For the elderly and those without cars, bad weather can be fatal and create disparities.

 

"We wanted to provide new forms of mobility to cities where there are fewer public transportation options than in urban areas where the infrastructure is already well-developed. That was the idea behind creating GACHA. We wanted to create new possibilities for mobility," says Thiem.

The name GACHA comes from the Japanese word "gachapon." MUJI participated as a partner and was in charge of the design. As the name suggests, the smooth and cute form is attractive and makes you excited. GACHA may look compact at first glance, but it can actually accommodate 16 people, with a circular layout where people sit facing each other. It is fully electronic and can run 100km on a full charge in about 7 hours.

 

"It doesn't feel too techy, and I think its friendly appearance is cute. It's also very popular with kids," an excited woman pushing a stroller answered during the test drive. Two men who said they tried it out during their lunch break from work commented, "We thought it would be compact from the outside, but once we got in, it was much more spacious than we'd imagined." It was their first time riding in an autonomous vehicle, and they seemed pleased with how comfortable it was, beyond their expectations.

 

Looking out the window from inside the car, you can see the curious faces of passersby every time GACHA passes by. Some take photos, while others stop to smile and wave.

The symmetrical seating arrangement, with seats facing each other, is also stylish. Sitting facing each other in a small car makes conversation easy, even between strangers.

 

"It's cold in Finland, so when you get in the GACHA, you feel relieved. It's a place to get warm and to communicate with each other, and we talk about how it's like a sauna."

 

Saito-san from MUJI's Social Good Division, who was in charge of the project, explains: Indeed, the GACHA was so comfortable that I wanted to ride it for no reason, even though it was a gray, rainy day in Vantaa. Regular passengers also spent their time leisurely, looking out the window, chatting with the person next to them, and so on.

 

"It's important that it's a public bus, not a personal one. I hope that the existence of mobility like GACHA will help prevent people from feeling isolated, and will lead to urban development that naturally encourages communication," said Yano, also from MUJI's Lifestyle Goods Division. "Through GACHA, I want to work on initiatives that will lead to future mobility and publicness, and from there to urban development," Yano said with a gentle look in his eyes.