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The sedan, equipped with autonomous third-level steering, is the first of its kind on the market. “In certain situations, such as a traffic jam, a driver can read or watch television,” said the Japanese Ministry of Transport.
There are six levels of autonomous vehicles, from zero to five. The most advanced is a fully autonomous car. At the third level, for example, the new generation of the top-class Mercedes-Benz (see it here).
The Honda system is called SENSING Elite, which uses information from high-resolution 3D map data, navigation and sensors to monitor the vehicle’s surroundings for driving. At the same time, the car monitors the driver with the help of a camera aimed at the cab.
Detailed testing
Honda states that during the development of its autonomous steering system, it performed ten million simulations of driving situations and drove test prototypes of about 1.3 million kilometers in real conditions. In addition, the entire system is backed up by a backup solution, because redundancy is one of the basic requirements in the case of autonomous control systems.
The key elements are, of course, adaptive cruise control with a specially tuned mode for movement in the column and a lane keeper. The car can also change lanes, of course with regard to other traffic.
The Legend model is offered by the carmaker only on the Japanese market. The sedan equipped with autonomous steering will be clearly identifiable by blue auxiliary lights, special aluminum rims. A closer look reveals the added sensors used by the system.
The interior has also been modified, the system is controlled by added controls, and communicates optically and acoustically with the driver so that he clearly knows when he can hang out. Mainly diodes on the steering wheel and dashboard were added. Under the hood, Legend has a three-and-a-half-liter six-cylinder fork paired with an electric motor and a two-clutch seven-speed automatic.
The Japanese carmaker plans to sell 100 of these cars on the domestic market. It recommends a retail price of 11 million yen (CZK 2.24 million). The carmaker will offer this special design only in the form of leasing. This probably means that he wants to keep an eye on the cars and will be able to download them in case of problems with the revolutionary technology.
Emergency deceleration and stopping
The company has previously set a goal to be the first to produce large-scale self-propelled cars of the third level. Drivers of a self-propelled sedan do not have to follow the road in a traffic jam without risking legal action.
Last November, the Japanese government awarded Honda a safety certificate for its autonomous Traffic Jam Pilot technology, which can accelerate, decelerate and turn under certain circumstances. The system can also alert the driver to take control of the car if necessary, for example by vibrating the seat belt.
“If the driver does not react, the system slows down and stops. At the same time, it warns the surrounding cars with warning lights and trumpets, “said Honda. If possible, the system leads the car to the parking lane or to the side of the road.
Cars with the second degree of automation are already on the roads. They can accelerate, decelerate and turn, but the driver should be ready to take control of the car at any time. This stage is sometimes called “pedal feet, eyes on the road”.
Global carmakers and technology companies, such as Waymo of the Alphabet Group, are investing in the development of autonomous cars. The American electric car manufacturer Tesla announced last July that it was already “very close” to the fifth stage of automation.
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