How Honda is Pushing Artificial Intelligence in the Automotive Industry

How Honda is Pushing Artificial Intelligence in the Automotive Industry

Artificial intelligence (AI) was once touted only in science fiction movies and books; a dream to be achieved. We’re now in the age where driverless cars are no longer a dream, but fast becoming the next big thing in the automotive industry. 

Technology has always played a huge part in the automotive industry. With car production lines amongst the first implementers of the Hawthorne Experiment findings, cars have been at the forefront of how we behave alongside machines. Technological advancements have changed from handheld spanners to robotic arms and are now moving to full-fledged AI modules. 

While production will always have a limited scope, user experience with AI is a continually evolving process, developing protocols for personal experiences. What started with chips sensing tune-up schedules, we’re now on the brink of a future where cars will soon be able to be smart enough to bring themselves into the repair workshop to be fixed. 

Here are some of the things which AI-powered cars will be capable of doing in the very near future. 

1. Automated vehicle prognostics

All cars require tune ups, but it’s the human owners who often forget or are careless when it comes to keeping track of the car’s tune ups. However, with AI-based models, the cars themselves will continuously map the user journey to check for problems, analyse trends and inform the owners for future conditions which could crop up. This will help the car owners know everything about the car, even before it happens!

In the factories, artificial intelligence is also working behind the scenes in the automotive industry, and not just to make autonomous driving decisions. As today’s vehicles get more and more complicated to build, Honda is using AI in the design and testing stages as well as in the vehicle inspection at the factory.

2. Service & repair estimation

Maintenance schedules can have varying costs depending on the condition of the car and usage patterns. Servicing schedules could put a dent in budgets because of uncertainty on the car owner’s part. With implemented AI modules, service costs & estimations can be a reality because it continuously monitors the condition of the car and lets its owners know what to expect. A successful module will also let the owners know the resale value to be expected at defined periods.

3. Voice commands

While a fully driverless car will take a bit more time before it’s road-ready, voice commands are already in place with some cars able to understand basic instructions for playing music, placing a call and checking for directions, to name a few. AI-based models will soon be able to converse and understand more functions, kind of like Tony Stark and his Iron Man armor. This may also be due to the fact that the previously inaccessible machine language is slowly resembling human language with every passing day.

Honda is developing something similar to this technology with mobile carrier SoftBank Corp. that connects drivers and other road users via telecommunication networks. Information gathered from in-vehicle or other cameras will be used to predict dangerous traffic situations with the help of AI, and people facing imminent danger will be alerted.

4. Accident warnings

An integrated AI-module is able to multitask on behalf of the driver. While driving, playing a song and talking to you, the car is still calculating terabytes of data, which could be checking in on the weather, sensing humidity levels, road tractions & friction, cars & their speeds in the vicinity, gauging sudden road obstructions and more. 

One such example comes from Honda. Honda is integrating artificial intelligence into its vehicles to warn drivers of imminent traffic hazards and help them avoid accidents caused by human error. Honda’s AI-powered driver assistance technology checks a driver’s movements and health using a monitoring camera and sensors.

With this technology, the carmaker aims to meet its target of zero fatalities by 2050. This is important as the AI is there to keep the driver and its passengers safe, even more than the drivers themselves can manage. 

5. System failure diagnosis

A fully implemented AI module will not just find out a problem, it will remedy it as well. With smart cars to be the norm in the future, successful AI modules will be able to correct most issues in a car because they will be software related. While AI components may not be changing your car tires anytime soon, it will help in making decisions by giving an effective diagnosis, recommending a course of action and even taking action where necessary. 

To achieve its goal, Honda announced in 2021 that the company had invested in US-based AI company, Helm.ai to strengthen its software technology development in the areas of AI and computer vision technologies. Helm.ai has key strengths in the area of AI-based image recognition technologies advanced through unsupervised learning. 

Honda has also been working on multiple, unnamed projects with Monolith AI through the Honda Xcelerator program since 2019. Monolith AI uses old Honda model design data to assist Honda engineers who are updating those models or working on new ones.

What do you think about the implementation of AI in cars? Do you think that the car of the future will be able to function all on its own? We are really excited to see what the future has in store in terms of AI for the automotive industry. 

There you have it. We hope you enjoyed the article!

Don’t forget that Formula Venture is an authorized Honda 3S dealer in Penang, covering the sales, services, spare parts and accessories of Honda cars. If you’re looking to keep your car running in perfect condition, feel free to drop by our showroom! If you’re looking to purchase a Honda for yourself, or want to experience our brand of customer servicing, we’re here for you as well!