Sony Afeela: Futuristic Features From Massive Dashboard To Autonomous Driving
At CES 2024, Sony showcased its Afeela EV prototype, with Sony Honda Mobility COO Izumi Kawanishi driving it using a PlayStation 5 DualSense controller for a tech demo.
Although specific features were not disclosed, the car boasts a large ultrawide dashboard screen and an additional screen in the bumper, known as the Media Bar.
This bumper screen can showcase various information, including warnings, birthday greetings, battery status, and logos from popular Sony titles such as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition, and Epic Games' Fortnite.
The Sony Afeela employs Unreal Engine 5.3 to render graphical content on its expansive ultrawide dashboard display. Beyond serving as the instrument cluster, this display multitasks as an infotainment system, offering functionalities such as gaming, movie-watching, and augmented reality (AR) navigation.
The software also plays a crucial role in generating environments used for training the car's multi-camera driver assistance systems and enhancing the functionality of the EV's driver aid features.
During the demonstration, the Japanese tech giant unveiled a new game called Monster View. This game integrates with the car's technology, displaying a portion of the road on the dashboard along with virtual creatures.
The interactive game actively encourages the driver to engage in capturing these virtual beasts while driving, introducing a unique and entertaining element to the driving experience.
Sony Afeela may introduce a new feature called 'Smart Entry,' allowing for automatic unlocking and door opening when the owner is in proximity to the car. The electric vehicle is anticipated to make its debut around 2026, there is currently no information available regarding its availability or pricing.