sony and honda unveil latest AFEELA electric car prototype at CES 2024

AFEELA electric car drives through CES 2024

Sony Honda Mobility brings out the latest prototype of the AFEELA electric car at CES 2024 using a PlayStation 5 controller. The recent concept remains the same as the prototype that was unveiled at CES 2023, but this time, AFEELA is gearing towards mass production. The recent electric vehicle design with artificial intelligence capabilities is packed with technological features, following the announcement of the mobility company with Epic Games, Microsoft, and Polyphony Digital.

Sony Honda Mobility teams up with Epic Games to use Unreal Engine and create an augmented reality experience with the infotainment and navigation system of the AFEELA electric car. Previewed at CES 2024, AFEELA is expected to have a video-game-like GPS and navigation where the driver can activate the road maps to look like they’re playing as they cruise. The data captured from the advanced sensors of the electric car is translated into real-time 3D objects and allows the drivers to view their current location from any angle.

images courtesy of Sony Honda Mobility

Sony honda mobility uses 3D road maps and AI assistant

Sony Honda Mobility is also using 3D mapping technology with Epic Games for the AFEELA electric car. This means playful visual additives, such as monsters popping out of buildings or adding under-the-sea effects in the driving screen, can be activated by the driver and the front passenger. Aside from having an immersive cabin and driving experience with Epic Games, Sony Honda Mobility is also joined by Microsoft for the artificial intelligence to give the driver their personal mobility agent.

The collaboration entails that Microsoft is co-developing a conversational personal agent for AFEELA’s system using the Azure OpenAI service. The voice-enabled setup with a human-like accent and tone allows the driver to talk to their personal mobility agent as if they were chatting with a real person. Other technologies installed in the cabin include large infotainment screens for everyone, a noise-canceling interior resembling soundproof cinemas, and Sony’s spatial audio throughout the seats and cabin.

Sony Honda Mobility introduces the new prototype of AFEELA electric car at CES 2024

Autonomous parking for the AFEELA electric car

AFEELA comes equipped with ultra-wideband sensors and cameras too. As the driver approaches, the electric car greets them with a light and automatically opens the doors for them. Once they are inside, the EV runs an authentication process to make sure the driver is the right owner and sets up the destination and route map on a panoramic display. As they drive, AFEELA’s sensors and cameras monitor every angle, watching traffic conditions and, based on the high-precision data acquired, providing driving assistance.

Sony Honda Mobility uses the potential of AI, sensors, and cameras by making AFEELA autonomous enough to park itself even when the driver leaves the electric car. At CES 2024, Sony Honda Mobility, led by Representative Director, President, and COO Izumi Kawanishi, shared that AFEELA also features a thematic cabin. Here, the driver can choose a certain theme that they want for their driving experience, and the smart cabin will automatically change its lighting, sound, and display to correspond to the chosen theme.

the 2024 prototype of AFEELA is geared towards mass production

Glancing at the front exterior, users may see a strip of LED dipslide just below the curved light. It is here that they can find AFEELA’s Media Bar, which acts as an external information display. It can alert anyone outside the car about certain information, such as flashing a warning sign if the vehicle is too close to a rear bumper, projecting the battery percentage, and playing animated sequences to make it look like billboard advertising on the go.

For specs buffs, the AFEELA electric car is set to have a front and rear electric motor power of 180 kilowatts and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery capacity of 91 kilowatts. Stepping inside the vehicle, a noticeable low-contrast color palette and series of fine textures create an inviting space for the driver and passengers, with seats that are made of aluminum and glass. While AFEELA is already heading towards mass production, Sony Honda Mobility has yet to announce a defined timeline for its electric car.

Sony Honda Mobility teams up with Epic Games for the game-like AR road maps of the electric car