TOKYO, Japan, May 20, 2019 – Honda R&D Co., Ltd. (Honda R&D), a research and development subsidiary of Honda, today announced that, this month, it began a collaboration with the Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet)* in neuroscientific research of humans in the areas of mobility and robotics. CiNet is a flagship research institute that focuses on the brain and artificial intelligence within the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT).
Since its foundation, Honda has always strived to develop better products and technologies based on our belief that “the purpose of technology is to help people”. The business environment surrounding Honda has been experiencing drastic changes such as the advancement of automated driving technologies and the shift toward “mobility/robotics-as-a-service.” As a result, the study of humans has become more important than ever before.
As of April 1, 2019, Honda newly established the Innovative Research Excellence within Honda R&D, a new center of excellence which will be responsible for the pursuit of revolutionary advancement and the creation of values for mobility and people’s daily lives. This new research organization, Innovative Research Excellence, will play a central role within Honda to pursue this joint research with CiNet on the relationships between humans and both mobility and robotics. To be more specific, jointly with CiNet, Honda will apply neuroscience to make clear how a driver can experience a sense of unity with the vehicle and what would be the optimal human-machine interface. Through such research, Honda and CiNet will strive to establish standards for the development of safer and more comfortable mobility and robotics technologies which offer peace of mind to the users.