Honda is planning to introduce its vehicles with highly automated driving capability in most driving situations (SAE Level 4) by 2025. 

The new target set by the company builds upon earlier-announced plans for Honda and Acura vehicles with automated freeway driving capability (SAE Level 3) by 2020. 

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) defines automated driving based on six levels of capability, from zero to five. 

The SAE Level 4 or ‘high automation’ suggests that these vehicles have the ability to handle all driving tasks in most driving situations, except in severe weather conditions or unusual driving environments, when the driver will have to take control of the vehicle.  

Honda Motor president and CEO Takahiro Hachigo said: "We will strive to achieve the technological establishment of Level 4 automated driving for personal car use by around 2025. 

"We are striving to provide our customers with a sense of confidence and trust by offering automated driving that will keep vehicles away from any dangerous situation and that will not make people around the vehicle feel unsafe."

The freeway demonstration was undertaken on a closed test course with a vehicle fitted with an advanced suite of sensors to show the capability for automated driving system on multi-lane roads in the presence of traffic. 

"We will strive to achieve the technological establishment of Level 4 automated driving for personal car use by around 2025."

The advanced sensor package deployed on the test vehicle included multiple cameras, five LiDAR and five radar sensors. 

For its second test, Honda created an urban driving scenario using the latest generation of Honda AI with Deep Learning capability. 

The vehicle was equipped with only camera sensors and no LIDAR or GPS, Honda's AI with Deep Learning. It could respond to complex driving environments and situations such as roads without proper lane markings.

The system has also been designed to detect pedestrians and bicyclists at night with only partial visibility. Through the accumulation of experience using advanced AI, the system can improve its ability to predict an outcome and take appropriate action.

Image: Honda has targeted the year 2025 for the introduction of vehicles with highly-automated driving capability in most driving situations (SAE Level 4). Photo: courtesy of Honda Motor Co. Ltd, via PR Newswire Association LLC.