Honda is taking steps in the right direction towards a future full of autonomous vehicles with its real-time lane monitoring feature. This feature is referred to by Honda as a 'vehicle generated road condition reporting system,' and it is a stellar innovation for road safety. The electric vehicles feature forward-facing cameras and sensors, as well as GPS technology which allows for the vehicle to automatically construct an image of the road in real-time.
The lane monitoring feature detects the quality of lane lines and categorizes the quality into one of four groups: green, yellow, red, and gray. Green qualifications mean the lane lines are perfectly visible, while yellow means they are damaged and red means that they are in immediate need of repair. The gray qualification means the lane lines are absent entirely, which may not be an issue depending on the road.
The lane line and hazard data points are then collected and uploaded to a secure server that road operators can access to assess if repairs are in order. On top of this, the Honda electric vehicles will feature a central server that allows the vehicles to share hazard information with other vehicles on the road in real-time.
Autonomous Road-Assessing Features
Honda's New Electric Vehicles Monitor Lane Lines and Hazards
Trend Themes
1. Real-time Road Condition Monitoring - Honda's lane monitoring feature allows for real-time assessment of road conditions and identification of hazard risks.
2. Vehicle-generated Data Collection - Honda's electric vehicles feature forward-facing cameras and sensors that can collect and upload data about road hazards and lane conditions to a secure server.
3. Inter-vehicle Communication - The Honda electric vehicles can share real-time hazard information with other cars on the road, allowing for a safer driving experience.
Industry Implications
1. Automotive Industry - Auto manufacturers can incorporate Honda's lane monitoring feature, vehicle-generated data collection, and inter-vehicle communication to produce safer autonomous cars.
2. Transportation Industry - Transportation companies can utilize Honda's vehicle-generated data collection to identify high-risk roads and plan for repairs accordingly, ultimately improving driver and passenger safety.
3. Smart City Industry - Smart city planners can incorporate Honda's real-time road condition monitoring and vehicle-generated data collection to optimize traffic flow and identify and address road hazards in real-time.