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Honda Motor Co announces plans for evtol, avatar robots and space technologies

Honda Motor Company has announced that it will innovate in areas such as electric vertical take-offs and landing aircraft (evtol), robotic bipeds, and space technology

By Paula SuarezPublished 2 years ago 5 min read
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Honda Motor Company has announced that it will innovate in areas such as electric vertical take-offs and landing aircraft (eVTOL), robotic bipeds, and space technology.

According to Honda R&D Co. (HMC), Honda Motor Company's innovation arm, Honda R&D Co. will lead the effort on "outside the box research on technologies that will bring new value for people by expanding mobility into the third, then the fourth dimension which defies time and space and finally into outer space."

This sounds like something out of a sci-fi book. However, the company showed how the core technologies it has developed over the past 72 years - such as combustion, electrification and control - could be adapted to meet the needs of a future world that will have very different mobility requirements.

Hybrid eVTOLs with a corresponding mobility environment

An eVTOL is different from a helicopter in that it has multiple propellers. Each one has an independent motor powered by electricity. The helicopter has a louder, larger rotor at its top. Consequently, eVTOLs can be expected to be safer and quieter than helicopters.

According to HMC, the company released a statement saying that while most eVTOLs around the globe are electric, it plans to "leverage their electrification technologies to develop Honda eVTOL equipped mit a gas turbine hybrid power source unit." HMC announced its plans to develop technologies for this market in April at a press conference. HMC also set out its goal to sell 100% of EVs by 2050.

Marcos Frommer, HMC's manager of corporate communications, stated that all-electric electric eVTOLs have very limited range due to their low battery capacity. This means that most uses for these vehicles will be restricted to intercity transport and shuttle flights. Joby Aviation recently announced plans for 2024 commercialization. However, was able to complete the longest test flight of any eVTOL, at 150 miles, on one charge.

According to Frommer, "According to our market research the greatest demand for mobility via eVTOL aircraft is for intercity transport with a range of up to 250 miles." Honda has been investing in the research and development lithium-ion battery technology partly because of electrification. The current lithium-ion batteries will only be improved by a few times over the next 20 years. We believe that long-distance mobility is impossible with batteries alone. This is because it requires further weight reduction.

According to Frommer, if batteries become more advanced in the future HMC can opt for an all-electric eVTOL by removing the gas turbine generator.

According to the company, it is creating a new "mobility environment" that includes eVTOL as its core and connects to mobility products on ground. HMC demonstrated an animated example during the briefing. A Cape Cod business executive might be able use one app to book a hybrid electric vehicle to transport him to New York City. This would only take two hours by air. His personal autonomous Honda car could be connected to the app, which would talk to him about weather and drive him to a hub for takeoff. An autonomous shuttle would be waiting for him in New York to transport him to his office when he landed. He'd arrive home just in time to enjoy dinner on the veranda after a day of simple commute.

Frommer stated, "By using the Model Based Systems Engineering (or MBSE) method, this will prove to be a challenge Honda will accept to transform itself from a traditional manufacturing company to a company that will also design, commercialize, and market systems and services." We will only be able deliver new value for our customers if we can complete one large system that includes various elements such as a reservation system infrastructure and air traffic control. Honda cannot handle all these elements by itself and will need to work with other companies and government agencies.

HMC intends to verify technology with prototypes in 2023 and fly a hybrid demonstration model in flight in 2025. The company will then decide whether to commercialize the model. HMC can then decide to launch its product in the next decade if it gets certifications. TechCrunch was told by the company that eVTOLs can seat more than four people at once if they are commercialized. Prices for these eVTOLs will be lower than commercial business class.

We are still discussing details about commercialization, but we want to make it affordable for all customers to fly eVTOL on commercial passenger aircrafts at a lower price than flying business class. Frommer stated that HMC believes eVTOL will be the norm by 2040, and forecasts a market of around $269 billion.

The Honda Asimo robot allows you to transcend time and space

Honda's Asimo avatar robot concept would allow users to have another self who performs tasks and experiences things remotely. The avatar can be controlled remotely by users wearing a VR headset or a tactile glove, which will eventually allow them to replicate their hand movements.

Frommer stated, "We view this as four-dimensional mobility, which transcends space and time going beyond 2D or 3D mobility."

Asimo Robots will be used by the company for remote surgery. This is likely to be very popular in developing countries that do not have access to top-notch surgeons. Or space exploration. Asimo robots can travel to uninhabited or difficult to reach places.

According to Honda, the multi-fingered robotic arm that was developed using Honda's strengths in robotics technology and Honda's original AI supported remote control function will be the heart of the realization of an avatar robot. Honda aimed for an avatar robot capable of using its multi-fingered robotic hand to make full use tools that are human-friendly and can perform complex tasks quickly and accurately with the AI-supported and intuitive user control.

Toyota has also developed a bipedal avatar robot that can be controlled via telepresence. The THR3, was previously unveiled by Tesla. However, the robot is not based on remote control technology. It is likely that Honda will go ahead with Asimo's plans. Teleoperation would allow for both easier manipulation and robotic learning. It could be the best way for a robot to learn.

Honda claims it plans to make Asimo practical in the 2030s. It hopes to test Asimo before the end the fiscal year that ends March 31, 2024.

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