Sony is officially entering the EV space with a new company called Sony Mobility Inc. At CES 2022, the conglomerate made a major announcement. The Japanese brand that has been known for its cameras, gaming consoles, and even smartphones, has announced its separate company that will specifically focus on electric cars. This is a big step for the company as the EV space is getting crowded by the day. Other tech players such as Apple, Xiaomi, and even Foxconn are working on electric cars. Sony seems to have gained some lead as the company has already showcased two electric car prototypes.
According to the company, Sony Mobility Inc. has been set up to accelerate and make new proposals in the field of mobility. Sony will establish an operating company “Sony Mobility Inc.” in the spring of 2022.
The “VISION-S,” initiative was introduced last year. Sony started public road testing of it electric car in Europe in December of the same year, and started verification tests of the safety and user experience of the imaging and sensing technology installed inside and outside the vehicle, and the human-machine interface (HMI) system.
This year, Sony is stepping up with a new SUV prototype electric vehicle at CES 2022. The new SUV concept named Vision-S 02 has a new form factor for the company. The vehicle uses the same EV/cloud platform as the prototype Vision-S 01, which is being tested on public roads.
The new SUV prototype will offer more ‘entertainment experiences’ with the help of the larger interior space. Sony will also offer up to seven seats in this new prototype.
Safety
The Sony cars can analyze the surrounding environment in real-time, with sensors installed 360 degrees around the vehicle. These sensors include high-sensitivity, high-resolution, wide dynamic range CMOS image sensors, and LiDAR sensors.
In addition, the system provides intuitive driver interaction in conjunction with the vehicle’s sound system and HMI system, so that the driver can accurately judge the status of the surrounding environment, such as the presence of emergency vehicles, even from inside the vehicle.
Sony is currently conducting functional verification tests in Europe toward the release of Level 2+ advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) on public roads.
Furthermore, the company offers Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensors that are used to provide monitoring functions for driver authentication and to watch over passengers.
Connectivity
Vehicle settings, key locks, and user settings can be synchronized by linking the vehicle to the cloud using mobile communication, including 5G communication. In addition, since updates are reflected in the vehicle via over the air (OTA), it is possible to provide security and evolve service functions and value-added offerings remotely.
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