CV tech at CES 2017

CV technologies at CES 2017 reflected on the future of autonomous and automated driving.

- Ashish Bhatia

Held at Las Vegas, US, the CES 2017 fair saw the display of commercial vehicle technologies that will further the case of automonous and automated driving. The 2017 edition, held between January 05 and January 08, 2017, brought to the fore the latest in technologies. Technologies that will set the tone for the future. As a launchpad for new innovation and technology, the CV technologies that shone at the show were the MercedesBenz ‘Vision Van’, Volkswagen ‘I.D. Electric Concept’, and Honda ‘New Electric Urban Vehicle (NEUV)’.

The NEUV from Honda is an urban electric vehicle designed for ‘ride sharing’ with enough storage space at the rear. Capable of moving people, and cargo, the NEUV, according to Honda is an automated electric commuter vehicle equipped with Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered ‘emotion engine’. The ‘emotion engine’ of the NEUV was developed by Cocoro SB, a Japanese AI specialist. Said to be capable of judging the emotions of the driver, and accordingly changing the ‘behaviour’, the ‘emotion engine’ also takes into account the driver’s past decisions to recommend new choices. The process is called as Automated Network Assistant (ANA). The incorporation of AI in NEUV, claimed a Honda source, helped the company to harness the power of artificial intelligence, robotics and big data. It also helped them to create new possibilities for human interaction with an electric car. Exploring the idea of how to create new value for its owner by functioning as an automated ride-sharing vehicle, picking up and dropping off commuters at local destinations, even in the absence of the owner, the NEUV has a touch panel, which the driver and passenger can use. There’s an electric skateboard for ‘last mile’ transit. The header-less windshield improves visibility.