Honda has launched a new package of semi-autonomous motorist help functions, which it says is the first ‘level 3’ autonomous driving system to be given the legal go-ahead by Japanese authorities.
Called Sensing Elite, the motorist help technology takes a step beyond the level two systems widely on sale today by supporting hands-off autonomous driving under certain conditions, such as heavy traffic or when travelling on the motorway – other systems require hands on the steering wheel.
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As such, the brand has beaten Tesla to the punch by getting a government-sanctioned level 3 system on sale first.
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Honda’s Sensing Elite system builds on the brand’s existing Sensing safety technology, but uses a a lot more accurate global positioning system, a lot more in-depth three-dimensional maps and several sensors which give the ECU a 360-degree view of the car’s surroundings.
The cabin also gets specially configured 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a motorist facing camera, which monitors whether the motorist is still paying attention to the road. The steering wheel and dashboard also get new LED lights, which illuminate when the autonomous driving mode is activated.
The a lot of excellent part of the new Sensing Elite system is the hand-off driving mode, which uses Honda’s existing adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist systems to assume total control over the automobile when driving on the motorway.