Sony and
Honda
have been collaborating on a new
concept Electric Vehicle
(EV) called the
Afeela
for several years now. Although it is unclear whether this car will become a reality or not, Sony had an interesting way of showcasing the vehicle at
CES 2024
stage. They drove it onto the stage with the
PlayStation
5 DualSense controller at the tech show.
If you are curious whether it'll be possible to drive this car using a
PlayStation controller
, we regret to inform you that it is not feasible. Sony has clarified that the demonstration was only a tech demo and not a feature that users can use. "This remote driving demo is for the tech showcase only," Izumi Kawanishi, the COO who was on stage presenting the Afeela, said.
The Afeela has looked the same over three years, so why is it again at CES? During its third appearance at the CES, Sony and Honda executives shared further details about the development of Afeela, including the entertainment and safety technologies that the joint venture between the Japanese companies will bring to the road.
What did we learn about Sony’s Afeela car at the CES 2024
The Afeela car uses Unreal Engine 5.3 for its 3D graphics and visuals. Passengers can access 3D maps, virtual spaces, and augmented reality views with internet-sourced metadata. Sony's media catalogue provides entertainment during the ride or while parked. Unreal Engine also creates simulated environments to train Afeela's multi-camera driver assistance systems. The graphics are highly realistic, improving precision when training visual models and neural network processing.
The car will be designed with safety features provided by Qualcomm and will also utilise Microsoft's Azure computing infrastructure and AI technology. Additionally, Sony is working with Polyphony Digital to include gaming expertise in the development of the car.
English (US) ·