Honda Sensing 360+ adds a driver monitoring camera and high-definition maps.
The long march towards self-driving capabilities continues with Honda revealing their latest revision to the Sensing suite. Honda Sensing 360+ was announced last week as an update to Honda Sensing 360, which debuted on Chinese models last year. Honda Sensing 360 featured omnidirectional safety and driver-assistive systems with five millimeter-wave radars.
With Honda Sensing 360+, there are two new pieces of the puzzle – a driver monitoring camera and high-definition maps. The driver monitoring camera helps to trigger the Driver Emergency Support System should the driver become incapable of driving for health-related reasons. The system will decelerate the car safely and stop the vehicle in the same lane. If the vehicle was in semi-autonomous mode before and the driver is unresponsive to being handed over control, Driver Emergency Support System will also stop the car safely and sound the horn and flash the hazard lights. Plus, an emergency call centre service will be activated.
Another new feature on Honda Sensing 360+ is Advanced In Lane Driving with Hands-Off Capability. This works on expressways by taking full control of the accelerator, brake, and steering wheel. The combination of omnidirectional sensors, high-definition maps and the global navigation satellite system allows for this function.
When there’s an upcoming turn, the system detects the curvature of the lane and performs the appropriate acceleration or deceleration before adding steering input. When this feature is on the system detects a vehicle in front moving at a slower speed, the vehicle will assess the surroundings and determine if a lane change is possible. If it is, it notifies the driver with the Active Lane Change Recommendation feature. The driver then approves it with a press of a button. The system will activate the turn signal, accelerate/brake/steer to complete the overtaking maneuver. This system will also recommend lane changes in conjunction with route guidance should you need to exit the expressway.
Another new feature is Predictive Curve Departure Warning and it does what it says on the tin. When you’re on an expressway, the system determines when to decelerate before a curve. It will warn and assist in this deceleration to reduce the possibility of a roadway departure.
Finally, there’s the new Exit Warning feature, which warns of an approaching vehicle from the rear before any of the doors are opened. The warning is both audible and visual.
Honda Sensing 360+ is coming to the Accord in the Chinese market next year which of course won’t be coming to Malaysia at all.
