Honda has developed what it calls a "smart intersection" that allows cars to virtually see through buildings, walls, and other obstructions at intersections. One day, all Honda vehicles could feature the vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology.
The technology employs Honda's proprietary object recognition software and a system to communicate with intersection-mounted cameras. The cameras give a bird's-eye view of the intersection and can identify traffic, pedestrians, and other obstacles in the intersection. The V2X technology communicates with the car via a dedicated short-range communication signal. Connected vehicles with an onboard computer decode the information from the camera feed and provide proper alerts to the driver about what lies ahead.
Honda Smart Intersection Technology
Alerts include audible and visual warnings to instruct drivers to take action, which could help drivers avoid collisions. Honda said at a demonstration of the technology in Marysville, Ohio, last Thursday that about 20 percent of the nearly 35,000 annual traffic deaths occur in intersections. Additionally, 40 percent of crashes happen in intersections.
The technology has been developed in partnership with the city of Marysville as part of 33 Smart Mobility Corridor projects. The multiple projects work to address the current limitations of vehicle sensors with the goal of improving safety. The smart intersection is one way to do so.
Honda also committed to deploying 200 connected vehicles to continue testing the smart intersection in various Smart Corridor projects. By 2020, Honda hopes to deploy vehicles with highly automated highway driving capability. Come 2025, Honda wants to introduce vehicles with Level 4 self-driving capability.
In the pursuit of its goals, the automaker announced a $2.75 billion investment in General Motors' Cruise Automation self-driving car subsidiary this month. Both automakers will work on a future self-driving car and share engineering expertise as part of the project.