Honda launches next generation Honda SENSING Elite safety system with Level 3 automated driving features in Japan
Honda
launches new Honda SENSING® Elite safety system
Fitted
to Honda Legend Hybrid EX available for lease in Japan
Honda
SENSING Elite features ‘Traffic Jam Pilot’ function, first Level 3 automated
technology to be approved by Japanese authorities
Other
features include ‘Hands-off’ and ‘Emergency Stop Assist’
Honda
Motor Co., Ltd. announced that it will begin leasing in Japan of the Honda
Legend EX equipped with Honda SENSING® Elite on March 5, 2021.
TOKYO,
Japan – March 4, 2021 - Striving to realize a
collision-free society based on its global safety slogan, “Safety for
Everyone,” Honda has long been at the forefront of the research and development
of safety technologies. The introduction of the Legend equipped with Honda
SENSING Elite represents the next step forward in the area of advanced safety
technology.
Honda SENSING Elite is a variation of Honda
SENSING, a suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive technologies currently
available on Honda vehicles around the world. The name “Elite” represents the
outstanding and “elite” technologies included in this latest variation.
One of the “elite” technologies featured is
the “Traffic Jam Pilot” function, an advanced technology qualifying for Level 3
automated driving (conditional automated driving in limited area), for which
Honda has received type designation from the Japanese Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT)*1. Traffic Jam Pilot technology
enables the automated driving system to drive the vehicle, instead of the
driver, under certain conditions such as when the vehicle is in congested
traffic on an expressway.
For vehicle control, the system determines
the position of the vehicle and road conditions using data from 3-dimensional
high-definition maps and the global navigation satellite system (GNSS*2), while
detecting the vehicle’s surroundings using several external sensors that
provide 360-degree input. At the same time, the system tracks the condition of
the driver using a monitoring camera mounted inside the vehicle. Based on this
wide range of information, the main electronic control unit (ECU) recognizes current
conditions, anticipates future conditions and applies a high-level of control
to acceleration, braking and steering inputs to assist the driver and achieve
high-quality and smooth driving.
Placing the highest priority on safety and
reliability, approximately 10 million patterns of possible real-world
situations were simulated during system development, and real-world
demonstration tests were conducted on expressways for a total of approximately
1.3 million kilometers (800,000 miles). Moreover, the system incorporates a
redundant system design to ensure safety and reliability in the event of a
problem with any of the devices.
With exterior styling befitting a flagship
sedan, the automated driving sensors are subtly integrated into the body
panels, producing a clean design while discreetly highlighting the vehicle’s
automated driving capability.
Interior equipment exclusive to this model
includes Honda SENSING Elite indicator lights, which feature carefully selected
and visible positions, sizes, colors, brightness and other details, as well as
a 12.3-inch full-LCD graphic meter. This equipment was adopted to provide an
intuitive understanding of system operation status, current driving situation
and any requests to transfer control back to the driver.
Key
features of Honda SENSING Elite
‘Hands-off’
Functionality
While driving with Adaptive Cruise Control
(ACC) with Low-Speed Follow and Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) activated,
when certain conditions are satisfied on an expressway, the system will assist
the driving operations even while the driver has their hands off the steering
wheel.
Adaptive in Lane Driving:
The system assists with the driving of the
vehicle and following of vehicles detected ahead within a recognized lane. The
system drives the vehicle along the middle of the detected lane while
maintaining the pre-set vehicle speed. When a car is detected in front, the
system assists in following while maintaining a proper following distance.
Active Lane Change Assist with Hands-off
Function (Driver assessment)
When Adaptive in Lane Driving is activated,
once the driver confirms it is safe to change lanes and activates the turn
signal, the system provides throttle, braking and steering inputs necessary to
accomplish the lane change.
Active Lane Change with Hands-off Function
(System assessment)
When
Adaptive in Lane Driving is activated, once the driver switches on the Active
Lane Change with Hands-off Function, the system assesses the situation and
assists the lane change and/or passing of the other vehicles under certain
conditions. When the system detects a car in front being driven at low speed,
the system notifies the driver and then assists with the passing of the vehicle
and the return to the original lane.
Traffic
Jam Pilot
While driving using the Adaptive in Lane
Driving, if the vehicle gets caught in traffic congestion, under certain slow
speed conditions the system can take control of acceleration, braking and
steering while monitoring the vehicle’s surroundings on behalf of the driver.
The system drives, stops, and resumes driving within the same lane while
maintaining a proper following interval in accordance with the speed of the
vehicle detected ahead. While the vehicle is under the control of the system,
the driver can watch television/DVD on the navigation screen or operate the
navigation system to search for a destination address, which helps mitigate
driver fatigue and stress while driving in a traffic jam.
Emergency
Stop Assist
If the driver is unresponsive to multiple
system requests for a handover (the transfer of control back to the driver),
the system assists deceleration and stopping of the vehicle by making lane
change(s) to the outermost lane or the shoulder of the road. To be more
specific, in cases where the driver does not respond to the system’s handover
requests, the Traffic Jam Pilot/Hands-off Function will be disengaged, and the
system will further urge the driver to respond to the handover request using
visual, auditory and tactile alerts including escalated alarm sounds and
vibration on the driver’s seatbelt. If the driver continues to be unresponsive,
the system will assist deceleration and stopping of the vehicle while alerting
other vehicles around using hazard lights and the horn. When there is a road
shoulder, the system assists deceleration and lane changes until the vehicle
reaches the shoulder of the road for a safe stop.*3
Human-Machine
Interface (HMI)
The interface enables the driver to
instantaneously recognize the operating status of the system, the driving
situation and any handover requests issued by the system. Honda SENSING Elite
indicator lights are positioned on the steering wheel, the top part of the
navigation screen and glovebox. When the Hands-off Function is activated, the
indicator light on the steering wheel illuminates, and when Traffic Jam Pilot
is activated other indicator lights also come on with a blue light. When the
system requests a handover to the driver, all indicator lights change their
color to orange and blink to send an easy-to-understand message to the driver.
The large 12.3-inch, full-LCD meter also displays the operating status of the
system, driving situation and the handover requests in a simple yet expressive
manner.
Limited leasing of the Honda Legend Hybrid
EX commences in Japan on March, 5, 2021.
*1 Reception of the
type designation was announced on November 11. 2020.
Please refer to the
press release: https://global.honda/newsroom/news/2020/4201111eng.html
*2 GNSS stands for
Global Navigation Satellite System, a collective name for satellite
positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) systems.
*3 Depending on the
situation, the system may stop the vehicle without making lane change(s).
Publicity materials
relating to this press release are available at the following URL: https://news.honda.co.jp/en/
(The site is
intended exclusively for the use of journalists.)
About
Honda Canada
Honda Canada Inc.
was founded in 1969 and is the parent company for both Honda and Acura vehicle
brands in Canada. Since 1986, the company has produced Honda engines and more
than nine million cars and light trucks at its Alliston, Ontario manufacturing
facilities, where the Honda CR-V and Honda Civic are currently built. Honda
Canada has invested more than $4.7 billion in Canada, and each year it sources nearly
$2.1 billion in goods and services from Canadian suppliers. Honda Canada has
sold more than five million Honda and Acura passenger cars and light trucks in
Canada. For more information on Honda Canada, please visit www.hondacanada.ca.
