This is what happens when you combine electrification, automation and entertainment imaging technology in Japan.
The SC-1 Sociable Cart unveiled this month by Yamaha and Sony is a pretty unusual electric vehicle, which is not that surprising considering it’s from Japan.
The concept seems to combine several things, from all-electric drive using lithium-ion polymer battery, autonomous driving and a lot of monitors – single 49″ 4K LCD inside for up to five passengers and four 55″ 4K LCD on the outside for everybody else.
We guess that as a low-speed vehicle (up to 19 km/h/12 mph), the SC-1 Sociable Cart uses more electricity for the auxiliary devices than for driving.
According to the press release, in the coming months, the SC-1 Sociable Cart will be used in Japan for new mobility experience services.
“Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (Tokyo:7272) announced today that it has developed the SC-1 Sociable Cart, a vehicle that delivers a new low-speed mobility experience, jointly with Sony Corporation. The SC-1 brings together a fusion of Yamaha Motor’s autonomous driving technology and Sony’s entertainment imaging technology. The two companies plan to launch Japanese domestic services using this model in fiscal 2019. The SC-1 was developed solely for the purpose of providing a new mobility experience, and will not be made available for sale.”
“As well as images of the surroundings captured by cameras, the SC-1 can project a range of video and mixed reality (MR) images which suit its current location onto the high-resolution displays installed on the vehicle interior and exterior. Doing so creates an entertainment space unmatched by any traditional vehicle, aiming to provide a more enjoyable low-speed mobility value to occupants and people nearby.
In addition, the SC-1 applies AI analysis to data about the vehicle’s surroundings gathered by the advanced image sensors, ultrasonic sensors, and LiDAR2 system, enabling display of optimal travel assistance, as well as the ideal information (route guidance, store information, entertainment, news streaming, advertisements, etc.) to suit people’s attributes such as age and gender.
1: Imaging by mixed reality (MR) technology developed by Sony 2: Technology which uses lasers to detect the range and direction of objects by emitting laser light and measuring the time taken for it to bounce back”
Key Specifications
| Overall length x width x height | ： | 3,135mm x 1,306mm x 1,830mm |
| Capacity | ： | Five passengers |
| Speed | ： | 0-19km/h |
| Installed monitors | ： | Interior: 49″ 4K LCD monitor Exterior: Four 55″ 4K LCD monitors |
| Drive system | ： | DC motor |
| Battery type | ： | Lithium-ion polymer battery |
| Braking system | ： | Hydraulic four-wheel disc brakes and motor regenerative braking |
| Suspension | ： | Front double wishbone type and rear link type |
| Autonomous driving method | ： | Electromagnetic induction |
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