"I had the privilege of sharing Honda's ideas for our connected and autonomous future at the 2018 AutoMobility LA conference. Some will recall that my last major assignment was leading global development of the Acura NSX. For our next generation supercar we spent an incredible amount of time perfecting the look and feel of the steering wheel! And now many automakers are talking about removing the steering wheel entirely. But what links the development of NSX to our connected and autonomous future is the same guiding force that has led Honda from the start.
Our founder, Soichiro Honda's, belief was that the purpose of technology is to help people. So, our goal isn't autonomy for autonomy's sake. Our efforts are aimed toward a more essential idea of a zero-collision mobility future. We are taking a holistic view… looking at the future of mobility through the lens of all road users – other cars, pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles… you name it. This encompasses the entire transportation ecosystem, including next-generation connected, autonomous and electrified vehicle technology, as well as the complex interactions of people, vehicles and infrastructure and, of course, the important roles of government, academia and our business partners.
So, achieving "Safety for Everyone" – working toward a collision-free society where all road users can safely and confidently enjoy the freedom of mobility – is the core of our vision.
In central Ohio, we are now working to safely evaluate our technology in a dynamic setting that includes both connected and non-connected vehicles, pedestrians, emergency vehicles and more. In short, the real world. Our partners include government and academia, involving the U.S. DOT's Smart City initiative in Columbus, Ohio and a stretch of interstate now called the "33 Smart Mobility Corridor" that leads out to our R&D center.
This includes two major projects. First, is a pilot deployment of Smart Intersection technology in Marysville, Ohio, that uses vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication to allow connected vehicles and their drivers to virtually see through buildings and other vehicles to more safely navigate busy and virtually "blind" city intersections. Our Smart Intersection doesn't require all vehicles or pedestrians to be connected to become part of this connected network. The infrastructure's vision system essentially connects all road users within its line of sight to a connected car.
The second major initiative involves the 33 Smart Mobility Corridor and a core Honda concept we call Safe Swarm. Using V2X technology, we have developed the capacity for vehicles to communicate with surrounding vehicles, sharing key information such as location and speed. With this information, the driver or, in the future, automated vehicle systems, can determine the safest course of action in merging with traffic, or avoiding a road hazard.
Achieving a zero-collision society is a shared challenge. Moving forward, as leaders and innovators in the autonomous and connected vehicle space, we must be realistic and transparent in our conversations with each other, with other stake holders and with customers.
We won't just flip a switch and every vehicle will be connected and autonomous. It's an exciting future, but one we must pursue with a clear purpose, introduce technology responsibly with a customer focus, and working cooperatively to ensure that the benefit is for all road users."
Sincerely,
Ted Klaus
Vice President, Strategic Research
Honda R&D Americas, Inc.
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