On Thursday, the Honda Motor Company Limited unveiled a partially self-driving car, a Legend Sedan, in Japan. This makes it the world’s first carmaker to sell a vehicle equipped with new, certified level 3 automation technology.
However, since this is just the beginning of the new venture; the lease sales are limited to a batch of 100 in Japan and retail for 11 million yen.
Chief Engineer Yoichi Sugimoto informed the reporters that this automation technology is a huge step forward, according to GadgetsNow.com.
The model has a “Traffic Jam Pilot” feature that is one-of-a-kind. It can control acceleration, braking and even steering under specific conditions. In fact, once the system is activated, a driver can use the screen to watch movies or use navigation, which is supposed to help “mitigate the stress” that can often be caused by driving long-distance, said the company in a statement.
The system is also equipped to alert the driver when they have to take control of the car and can do so by vibrating the drivers’ seat. If the driver still remains unresponsive, it initiates an emergency stop protocol by decelerating the car and warning surrounding vehicles by means of the hazard light and horn.
