We all know Sony. They do all kinds of tech-related products. TVs, gaming console, phones, monitors, cameras, and headphones, only to name a few. For most firms, that would be enough products to manage. Yet Sony decided to join the electric car war that is starting.
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Credits: Sony
Yes, you heard me right. Sony has just unveiled its prototype of an autonomous electric vehicle. During this year’s CES, they showed it to the world for the first time. It looks very production-ready with working infotainment, finished interior, functional brakes, and other car mechanics. However, it would help if you didn’t get your hopes up because Sony has no intention of producing this car. The only reason they’ve built it was to show their capabilities in car manufacturing. Creating screens for the dashboard or touch screens for the infotainment is very easy since Sony is already producing these on a large scale for TVs and phones. They have also shown that they can develop software that is already level 2 autonomous driving. That means that the car can accelerate, brake, and steer, but the driver still needs to control the vehicle. It’s a very advanced cruise control system. Later on, they are aiming at level 3 and level 4 autonomy, which will take control of the vehicle for the driver for good.
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Credits: Sony
Other features that they are working on right now are 5G connectivity that will allow you to stream music, videos, and traffic inside your car. Also, Sony is jumping on the bandwagon of replacing wing and rearview mirrors for cameras. Right now, they are fully developed and awaiting governmental approval. As for the tech, we have the main screen that consists of two different displays that connect through software. You can have navigation on one display and music on the other and switch back and forth between them for your convenience. The intent is for the passenger to choose what music or movie is playing. They facilitated that by designing the icons big and with crispy resolution. Below the main screen, we have another monitor that is devoted to controlling the main screen and features like temperature and other vehicle functions. The most impressive innovation that Sony implemented in this car is its 360 reality audio. That shouldn’t be much of a surprise, we all know Sony for high-quality audio though it was never in a car before. Journalists from whathifi.com were able to experience this system.
This is their description:
“Noises pop in crystal clear clarity all around us and, had we actually been driving, we might well have lost control of the vehicle for a moment. Our time in the seat with 360 is far too brief to talk about much more the incredible soundstage but there is one other element which knocks our socks off – the bass. It leaps from a booming but slightly reverberating beat to some of the tightest, grippiest rhythms we’ve heard in a vehicle. Even if it’s just this feature that makes it into vehicles of the future, then it will be well worth trading in your old motor.”
Credits: Sony
In conclusion, Sony Vision-S is one of the coolest prototype/concept cars that are looking close to production for a long time. I understand that Sony has no business in manufacturing cars right now, or for that matter, probably never, but I am hoping that some other brand will consider their idea. Fingers crossed, we will see Some version of Vision-S somewhere in the future.
Sources:
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/hands-on-sony-vision-s-car-review
https://www.sony.pl/electronics/ces?cpint=HOMEPAGE_TOPBANNER_CES20OOFM_6535
https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/6/21054270/sony-vision-s-electric-concept-car-ev-announcement-ces-2020
This is very impressive, in my opinion autonomous cars will be soon available. Other intersting car I heard about is Volkswagen ID.3 electric car with augmented reality and full charging in 30 minutes.
Yes, the augmented heads up display that will be offered in ID.3 will be seriously impressive. That is if the regulators will allow something like that to exist, of course.
Sony made a sneaky move right there! I think Sony’s board members perfectly know, that they would have little chances of becoming a big fish on electric cars market. However, there is high probability for the project to generate huge profits for them, even if they are not going to manufacture and sell cars. They presented a realy innovative piece of technology and supposedly patented it, so well-known car manufacturers, who want to play a serious role on the market, will have to cooperate with them. Well done Sony!