TOKYO - Sony managed to stun car enthusiasts and tech fundis alike when it showcased the Vision-S prototype sedan at the CES show last year. And now the tech giant has revealed more details in a pair of videos where the prototype can be seen driving on a private track and on public roads in Austria.
Sony has partnered with some key players, including automotive contract manufacturer Magna Steyr, on this project.
According to TechCrunch, Sony has increased the number of sensors on the vehicle to 40 to allow for 360-degree awareness and experimented with ways to increase their capabilities.
Izumi Kawanishi, a senior vice president at the company, said in the video that Sony also created a system to verify the safety and security of its connected vehicle.
The dashboard-length display screen has five playing card-sized tiles in the centre labelled camera, settings, navigation, music and video.
Video footage suggests several other features, including a voice assistant, gesture control, ability to update car's software wirelessly, 5G connectivity and more.
"The camera is used to identify and recognise the condition of the occupant. If it detects a sleeping passenger in the back seat, the car will automatically control the climate around that seat to a suitable temperature," according to Sony.
In the video, Frank Stein, president of Magna Steyr, said that Sony and Magna's partnership will continue.
When unveiling the prototype last year, Sony said it was powered by a pair of electric motors (one on each axle) which collectively produce 400kW. The company also claimed a 0-100km/h time of 4.8 seconds, which isn’t enough to scare off any Tesla drivers, but impressive nonetheless.
There is no official word yet on when the production car will hit showrooms.
IOL & IANS