Honda uses artificial intelligence, robotics to “transform the mobility experience”

Honda has unveiled its Cooperative Mobility Ecosystem concept at CES 2017 in Las Vegas, connecting the power of artificial intelligence, robotics and big data to transform the mobility experience of the future and improve customers’ quality of life.

Brian Joss – Featuring a number of prototype and concept technology demonstrations at CES, the Honda concept envisions a future where vehicles will communicate with each other and infrastructure to mitigate traffic congestion and eliminate traffic fatalities, while increasing the productivity of road users and delivering new types of in-vehicle entertainment experiences. Vehicles will create new value by providing services autonomously when not in use by their owners.

The Honda NeuV: an electric automated concept car. Picture: Quickpic

Honda has also announced technology collaborations with Visa, DreamWorks Animation and innovative start-ups through the Honda Developer Studio and Honda Xcelerator open innovation programs based out of Honda Silicon Valley Lab.

Supporting its ‘Cooperative Mobility Ecosystem’ theme, Honda unveiled the Honda NeuV, an electric automated concept car equipped with an artificial intelligence (AI) ‘emotion engine’” and automated personal assistant, creating new possibilities for human interaction and new value for customers.

The global mobility company also revealed the Honda Moto Riding Assist, a concept motorcycle that applies Honda’s robotics technology to maintain balance. Visitors to Honda’s exhibit (LVCC, North Hall – 7312) can experience Honda robotics technology firsthand by ‘“test driving’” the UNI-CUB, the company’s self-balancing personal mobility device.

“Since our founding, Honda has focused on creating technologies that help people,” said Yoshiyuki Matsumoto, President and CEO of Honda R&D Co., Ltd. “Our goal is to showcase a future technology path that results in a redefined mobility experience.”

The following is a summary of the product and technology concepts shown on the Honda exhibit at CES 2017:

Honda Riding Assist motorcycle

In a global debut at CES, Honda has unveiled its Moto Riding Assist technology, which leverages Honda’s robotics technology to create a self-balancing motorcycle that greatly reduces the possibility of falling over while the motorcycle is at rest. Rather than relying on gyroscopes, which add a great deal of weight and alter the riding experience as announced by other companies, the Honda Moto Riding Assist incorporates technology originally developed for the company’s UNI-CUB personal mobility device.

Honda NeuV

Designed to create new possibilities for customers, the NeuV (pronounced ‘“new-v’”), which stands for New Electric Urban Vehicle, is a concept vehicle whose genesis is based on the fact that privately-owned vehicles sit idle 96 percent of the time. The NeuV explores the idea of how to create new value for its owner by functioning as an automated ride sharing vehicle, picking up and dropping off customers at local destinations when the owner is not using the car. The NeuV also can sell energy back to the electric grid during times of high demand when it’s not in use. These activities have the potential to create a new business model for enterprising customers.

 “We designed NeuV to become more valuable to the owner by optimising and monetising the vehicle’s down time,” said Mike Tsay, Principal Designer, Honda R&D Americas.

NeuV also functions as a thoughtful and helpful AI assistant utilising an ‘“emotion engine’”, an emerging technology developed by Honda and SoftBank (cocoro SB Corp.). Called HANA (Honda Automated Network Assistant), in its application in the NeuV, the ‘“emotion engine’” will learn from the driver by detecting the emotions behind the driver’s judgments and then, based on the driver’s past decisions, make new choices and recommendations. HANA can check on the driver’s emotional well-being, make music recommendations based on mood, and support the owner’s daily driving routine.

The NeuV features a full touch-panel interface enabling both the driver and passenger to access a simple and convenient user experience. The vehicle has two seats, a storage area in back, and an electric skateboard for ‘“last mile’” transit. The NeuV also features outstanding outward visibility via a wrap-around panoramic windscreen and a dramatically sloping belt line that make manoeuvring easy.

Safe Swarm

At CES, Honda launched its ‘“Safe Swarm’” concept, which uses bio-mimicry – replicating the behavior of a school of fish – to create a safer, more efficient and enjoyable driving experience. The Honda Safe Swarm demonstration immerses visitors in a world where vehicles sharing the road communicate with one another using dedicated short range communication (DSRC) to support the driver in negotiating complex driving situations. The Safe Swarm concept enables vehicles to operate cooperatively, enabling more efficient, low-stress and, ultimately, collision-free mobility.

“The autonomous age has dawned, and Honda, like all automakers, is working to refine and advance this technology to achieve our goal for a collision-free society in the 2040 timeframe,” said Frank Paluch, President, Honda R&D Americas. “Using vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications and drawing upon big data and artificial intelligence, Honda will work with others to create an environment in which road conditions are predicted and managed, and collisions are avoided.”

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