Waving goodbye to the large spinning Lidar sensor, Acura’s latest automated development vehicle has been introduced in California.
Based on the RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD sedan, the second-generation of Acura’s autonomous car benefits from updated sensors and an improved aesthetic, combining a more compact Lidar and updated Radar, GPS and camera sensors, joined by higher performance CPUs and GPU and by “more intelligent software algorithms to support more complex testing scenarios”, as Acura explains.
Functioning with the same concept applied in the AcuraWatch safety and driver-assistive suite, which is available on all 2016 MY sedans and SUVs made by the company, the vehicle will be tested by Honda Research Institute USA (HRI-US) at GoMentum Station, on a 5,000-acre automated and connected vehicle proving ground in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The location contains 20 miles of paved roads and urban infrastructure, which will “help accelerate the development of automated and connected vehicle technologies”. Founded in 2003, HRI-US conducts research in areas of computer and materials science and it’s part of the manufacturer’s goal to introduce automated driving technologies on its vehicles, around 2020.
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