Cars are necessities that help us in our everyday lives. However, there are some people that are just so scared to drive. As the industry continues to evolve, new technologies are making things much easier. Japanese car maker, Honda recently released three unmanned vehicles. You don’t have to be afraid if you don’t have enough driving skills. The new Honda cars are 1-seater, 2-seater, ad 4-seater versions. Users can make the choice that best fits their needs. Unlike traditional AI drivers, Honda’s self driving cars can communicate with you in real time. In addition, the car can read your gestures.
In terms of appearance and interior design, it is also completely different from the Robotaxi seen on the street. There is no lidar, let alone high-precision maps.Ā At the same time as auto driving, it also satisfies your driving pleasure a little. However, there is a physical joystick in the car to give you some sense of control.
According to the company, these are only early stages products. In the future, users will be able to call the car just like calling a child. Do you think this is a good development?
Honda launches 3 self driving cars
The official name of Honda’s new self driving car is CiKoMa.
Ci stands for Cooperative Intelligence
This is an interactive intelligent technology independently developed by Honda. This means that machines can read human gestures and language. It can also interact with people in real time.
KoMa means “horse” in Japanese.
The actual production of CiKoMa self driving car is quite different from the concept car in the animation.
It mainly includes three categories:Ā single seat, double seat, and four seat versions. All these cars are electric vehicles.
Single Seat Honda CiKoma car
Let us first take a look at the new Honda car which comes with only one seat. This car is designed to accommodate only one person.
The design is quite interesting and funny at the same time. If it is in a spot, you can easily mistake it for a mobile phone booth.Ā This self driving car is like an AI driver. As long as you call or move your hand, it will drive to the designated location as required.
Furthermore, this car also automatically reroutes and informs the owner of a parking spot if it “sees” it as unsafe.
Double Seat Honda CiKoma car
The Honda CiKoma 2 seat self driving car is designed for older people. It is also for people who are afraid of driving or those who are not good drivers.
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This car can only accommodate two people. The design is such that one of the occupants is in front while the other person will be behind.
The two seat self driving car also comes with a special joystick. This joystick can help the occupant change the direction themselves if they so desire.
Four Seat Honda CiKoma car
Finally, this 4-seat self driving vehicle from Honda looks like a tourist car.Ā Starting this month, the four seat self driving vehicle will be tested on the road with safety officers. The Honda self driving car does not rely onĀ high-precision maps.Ā It mainly uses the parallax of the camera to generate three-dimensional point groups. It recognizes obstacles through grid processing of point groups. When the height of the obstacle exceeds the specified value, the car sees it as an impassable area. The drivable area is quickly identified.
The auto vehicle then generates an optimal route to the target location in real time and drives smoothly along that route. Honda believes that its self driving vehicles will mainly work for urban commuting, tourism, work and running a business. The company also believes that it will be effective for short travels. However, it does not recommend it for long distances. What do you think about these new cars from Honda? Are they cool? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below
Introduction of the research team
The R&D team is fromĀ Honda Technical Research Institute.Ā The reason for designing such a vehicle is mainly to solve social problems such as a serious ageing population and a shortage of labour. The company hope to help people who are not good at driving or cannot drive due to physical reasons.Ā They also believe that modern people are too busy with work. Thus, small short-distance self-driving cars are just enough to meet their personal short-distance travel and relaxation needs.Ā The chief engineer of the institute isĀ Yuji Yasui, who joined Honda in 1994 and has been the project leader of Honda’s autonomous driving and assisted driving technology for 28 years.
At an event held by Nvidia five years ago, Yasui Yuji publicly says
Honda’s goal is to launch self driving cars that don’t require high-definition maps
In addition, there are also reports that by 2025,Ā Honda will achieve L4 level self driving cars. The auto driving that Honda is targetingĀ must meet two basic requirements. It must be safe and reliable for passengers, surrounding vehicles and pedestrians. The car must also be smooth, natural and comfortable.
One More Thing
CiKoma got all the attention at the launch event. However, this car was not alone. The company also unveiled WaPOCHI at the event.
Together, they’re what Honda calls “micro-mobility,” which means small-scale movement. It follows you and accompanies you for walks and shopping. It can be a guide and carry your bags. In fact, you can call it an “electronic pet” or even a “follow about”.
