Aug. 29, 2013—Honda recently demonstrated two experimental safety technologies aimed at reducing the potential for collisions between automobiles and pedestrians, and between automobiles and motorcycles.
These advanced vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) and vehicle-to-motorcycle (V2M) technologies, while still in the research and testing phase, are part of a comprehensive effort by Honda to develop leading-edge safety and driver assistive systems that can help predict and avoid traffic accidents through advanced sensing and communications technologies.
"While these are still experimental technologies, they provide a strong indication of the future potential for the kinds of advanced collision sensing and predictive technologies Honda is developing to further reduce the potential for serious accidents, injuries and even fatalities," said Jim Keller, chief engineer for Honda R&D Americas, Inc.
The V2P technology senses when a pedestrian is holding a smartphone with dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) technology. The technology uses cooperative communication between the smartphone and nearby vehicles to prove auditory and visual warnings to both the pedestrian and drivers.
The V2M technology also uses DSRC to determine a potential collision and has the ability to sense the presence of a motorcycle even when it is obstructed from a driver’s view. The system, which provides auditory and visual warnings to the automobile driver, is being researched and tested in cooperation with the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.
