Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has announced the introduction of the new Honda SENSING 360+ omnidirectional safety and driver-assistive system which removes blind spots around the vehicle and contributes to collision avoidance and the reduction of driver burden while driving.
Starting with the Honda CR-V that went on sale in China in 2022, Honda began offering the current Honda SENSING 360 omnidirectional safety and driver-assistive system. This system removed blind spots around the vehicle by realizing 360-degree sensing with a total of five units of millimeter-wave radar in front and at each corner of the vehicle, contributing to the avoidance of collisions with other vehicles and pedestrians and reducing the burden on the driver.
In addition to the functions of the current Honda SENSING 360, Honda SENSING 360+ will newly adopt a driver monitoring camera and high-definition maps to improve functions to monitor the driver’s condition and to control the vehicle, respectively, to further reduce driver burden. By reducing health-related or human error-triggered collisions with such new technologies, Honda will strive to offer vehicles which enable everyone to enjoy the freedom of mobility with complete peace of mind and encourage people to want to go out more actively and go farther in their vehicles.
Honda is planning to begin applying the new Honda SENSING 360+ to Accord which will go on sale in China in 2024 before expanding the application on a global basis.
Advanced In Lane Driving with Hands-off Capability: Whie driving on an expressway, the system reduces driver burden by operating the accelerator, brake pedal and steering wheel to assist the driver to maintain proper vehicle speed and stay in the lane even while the driver takes hands off the steering wheel.
The system utilizes high-definition maps and the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) to identify the vehicle position. When there is no car in front of the vehicle, the system drives the vehicle along the middle of the lane while maintaining the pre-set vehicle speed. When there is a car in front, the system follows that vehicle in front while maintaining a proper following distance. For turning, the system detects the curvature of the lane in advance and performs deceleration and acceleration in accordance with the detected curvature to assist the driver in the way that they can drive with a peace of mind.
Active Lane Change Recommendation: Whie driving on an expressway using Advanced In Lane Driving with Hands-off Capability, when the system detects a vehicle in front which is moving at a slower speed, the system assesses the vehicle’s surroundings under certain conditions. When the system determines a lane change is possible, it notifies the driver. When the driver approves the lane change to pass the slower vehicle by pressing the switch button on the steering wheel, the system controls the turn signal, accelerating/decelerating and steering to assist in passing and returning to the original lane.
Moreover, on the navigation mode, the system recommends a lane change necessary to drive toward the destination based on the route guidance being provided by the navigation system. Once the driver gives approval, the system automatically operates the vehicle for the entire process of the lane change – to entering a proper lane at a junction or an exit lane and leave the expressway.
Driver Emergency Support System: When the driver becomes incapable of continuing to drive due to some factors such as a sudden change in health condition while driving, the system assists deceleration and stopping of the vehicle within the same lane.
When the driver is unresponsive to the system’s requests for a handover (the transfer of control back to the driver), the system escalates alarm sounds and urges the driver to respond. If the driver remains unresponsive, the system will assist deceleration and stopping of the vehicle within the same lane while alerting other road users around the vehicle using hazard lights and the horn.
Moreover, the system connects to the emergency call center service HELPNET® in order to secure the safety of the driver, occupants and other road users.