Drivers can select what they want their car to sound like from a selection of old Hondas.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
Honda is hoping to make driving less stressful by using artificial intelligence. The technology aims to learn your daily routines, anticipate your needs and benefit from regular over-the-air updates.
The Japanese automaker showed how it is designing a new era of technology for the 0 Series (pronounced Zero) – the maker’s new line of electric vehicles, during a recent demonstration of its new digital user experience at Honda’s research and development facility in Tochigi, Japan.
Honda says it will be like having a helpful companion along for the ride, where the car becomes more than just a simple conveyance. It will also feature self-driving technology where the driver doesn’t need to pay attention to the road. Some of it sounded genuinely useful, but whether or not we need our vehicles doing most of the thinking for us is up for debate.
Honda also imagines a future where there are no more traffic fatalities and has set a target of 2050 for when there will be zero traffic fatalities involving Honda automobiles or motorcycles. It isn’t the first car company to explore this concept, and accident-free roadways aren’t as far-fetched as they might seem.
We’ll see some of this technology make its debut in the 0 Series saloon in 2026, but Honda is undecided on how much will make it to the car initially.
Honda talked about being able to summon the car from where it’s parked to where you’re waiting. Some Teslas can already do this in a few limited scenarios, but for Honda, it will be part of the bigger picture of reducing stress on the driver.
With myriad cameras and sensors, the surroundings are continuously monitored. When your summoned car arrives, it will be able to analyze your face using advanced facial recognition technology similar to what’s used by airport security, the company says. It can also recognize passengers if it has “scanned” them before. If you approach the vehicle with a child in a stroller, it would first unlock the back door so you can strap in your child and then pop the tailgate for the stroller. We watched as the camera accurately picked out
Honda’s new electric vehicle architecture on display at the R&D facility in Tochigi, Japan.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
only the designated driver from a crowd of about 20 people.
Cameras will also watch you inside the car. Smart enough to pick up on facial expressions, Honda says they can anticipate your mood and intentions with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). If you’re bored, the car can play your favourite music or suggest a game for passengers. It’s always learning, so the more you drive, the more it gets to know you.
Our phones already do this to a certain degree, but should such surveillance technology also be extended to our cars? It’s one of few places many of us have that’s truly private and this feels like an easy way for hackers to steal even more of your valuable data.
When we asked about who will own the data and what Honda will do with it, the automaker said this technology is still at the development state, but it “will comply with the personal data protection laws of each country.”
There are instances where being tracked by sensors could be useful; if you fall asleep or become incapacitated, the system could take appropriate safety measures autonomously. But I’m not sure we need to be scanned for entry. Most vehicles nowadays don’t even need you to pull the key out of your pocket; you approach the door and open it. It’s already as easy as it gets.
Some of this connected technology makes sense, such as turning your daily commute into a game where you earn points, badges and trophies for driving efficiently or keeping as close to the speed limit as possible. Because the car is connected to the internet, the scores are uploaded and posted to a leaderboard, where you can compare them with your friends. Using technology to foster better driving habits is a smart idea.
Honda has also cashed in on its heritage by letting the driver choose whether they want their car to sound like an Acura Integra Type R, a Honda Jet or a selection of other legacy Honda vehicles, some of which can only be unlocked by paying for a subscription.
For Honda to realize its mission of zero traffic fatalities, self-driving technology and AI will be crucial. The Honda Legend, available for lease in Japan, is fitted with a Level 3 autonomous driving system.
That means under certain conditions, like in congested traffic, the driver doesn’t need to pay attention and can look at their phone or watch TV. It’s made possible using an array of cameras, radar and Lidar sensors that ensure reliable risk recognition is effective even in inclement weather and at night, Honda says. This technology will be improved and further expanded for use in the new 0 Series, and the company wants to make it the world’s fastest eyes-free driving system.
Media was given a demonstration on a new VR experience where you can be a virtual passenger in a car.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
Rather than use multiple electronic control units to run this software, all operations will be combined into a single superbrain that governs everything, including automated driving, vehicle dynamics and the digital user experience. It’s even possible to be a virtual passenger using a virtual reality headset. During a demonstration, we sat in the car virtually with colleagues driving in another city and could see what they were seeing. We were even able to send them virtual hearts, which they received as sounds.
The advancement of technology in cars is inevitable, especially as we delve further into autonomous driving. Some of it can be helpful, but we also don’t need cars to make all the decisions. If it all works perfectly every time, we could be on to something here, but the more tech we add to our lives to make it easier, the more complicated things seem to become. One of the biggest complaints about new cars is infotainment and automated driving systems. Tech can be great, but when it malfunctions, we often find ourselves wishing for things like buttons again. How is this supposed to reduce stress, exactly?
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.