Normally known for their consumer electronics, Japanese firm Sony on Tuesday unveiled an electric car concept, the ‘Vision S’, featuring Sony’s range of sensory equipment and peripheral technologies.
Unveiled at the CES 2020 exhibition, the car is embedded with 33 sensors including Lidar ranging , light detection and imaging sensors. According to the press note, it was developed with the help of multiple partners including automotive suppler Magna, Continental, Bosch, Nvidia and Genetex.
The car boasts 360-degree audio and an ultra-wide dashboard containing a panoramic screen “for driving information and entertainment”, with passengers in the rear get two infotainment screens as well.
The car is just a concept for now, with Sony yet to unveil any plans to sell it. “We will accelerate our efforts to contribute to the future of mobility,” said Sony chief executive Kenichiro Yoshida.
Sony had announced in 2014 that it would work on image sensors for the automotive industry. These image sensors, which Sony hoped to make better than the human eye, were planned to form a crucial part of the functioning of self-driving cars.
The car was unveiled along with the logo for the upcoming Sony console, the Playstation 5 or PS5. The iconic Playstation logo now retains the P but uses a ‘5’ in place of the S.
While little is known about the PS5 for now, it will have a ‘holiday 2020’ release. Details released so far reveal that the Ps5 will have ‘3D audio sound’, haptic/adaptive triggers, an ultra-high speed SSD, hardware-based ray tracing and an ultra HD blu-ray drive.
Mercedez Benz also revealed an electric concept at CES 2020, a futuristic sedan based on the upcoming Avatar 2 film.
