Honda Announces New Research and Development Structure to Take Responsibility for "New Value" Areas
28 February 2017 - 8:00PM
JCN Newswire (English)
Honda R&D Co., Ltd., the R&D subsidiary of Honda Motor
Co., Ltd., today announced plans to create "R&D Center X," a
new research and development operation within the company, which
will assume responsibility for "new value" areas that include
robotics technology, mobility system and energy management, etc.
The official establishment of R&D Center X will take place in
April of this year.
Since its foundation, with a passion to provide all people with the
joy of expanding their life's potential, Honda has been striving to
evolve mobility and the daily lives of people all around the world
with its products including motorcycles, automobiles and power
products.
In the midst of this pursuit, digital technologies such as
artificial intelligence and "big data" have evolved and Honda began
to see an expanding possibility to create value in a wider range of
fields beyond the field of current businesses. Responding to such
changes in the business environment and under the concept of
"AIxDataxHonda's strengths", Honda will continue to create product
and experience that can improve the quality of people's lives.
For this challenge, Honda R&D will newly establish R&D
Center X, which will take a non-traditional approach to assume
responsibility for the research and development in "new value"
areas.
Initially, R&D Center X will focus on research of autonomously
operated machines and systems, such as robotics technologies and
mobility systems, which will be collectively called "robotics." The
concept of robotics includes energy management, which is necessary
to power robots and mobility systems. Moreover, as a fundamental
technology of robotics, R&D Center X will conduct research into
technologies that lead to "artificial intelligence that works
cooperatively with people."
Being able to "work cooperatively with people" consists of three
phases - 1) to understand and relate to people's emotions, 2) to
provide support for people and grow together with people, and 3) to
expand the potential of people who will continue to play the lead
role. With these themes, Honda will strive to create a robotics
society where various systems, products and services equipped with
"artificial intelligence that works cooperatively with people" will
further highlight the inherent greatness of human beings.
Toward this end, Honda will pursue strategic collaborations with
outside parties through open innovation. Honda R&D Innovation
Lab Tokyo (HIL-TK), which was newly established in 2016, will play
the role of R&D Center X's liaison with outside parties. While
setting "artificial intelligence that works cooperatively with
people" and "digital technologies that make automobiles more
intelligent" as main themes of its research activities, HIL-TK will
conduct research and development not only in "new value" areas
where R&D Center X will be responsible, but also in areas
related to existing fields of technologies such as automated
driving and connectivity technologies.
Moreover, to advance research and development by gaining a wider
perspective, R&D Center X will welcome two advisors: Dr. Edward
A. Feigenbaum, Professor Emeritus of Computer Science at Stanford
University, known as the foremost researcher in the field of
artificial intelligence, and Mr. Kazuhiko Toyama, Managing Partner
of Industrial Growth Platform, Inc. (IGPI), who has a lengthy and
proven track record in the areas of corporate renewal and new
business creation.
In order to continue offering all people the opportunity to
experience the joy of expanding their life's potential, Honda will
remain committed to generating a large number of innovations.
Website of Honda R&D Innovation Lab Tokyo (Japanese only):
http://www.honda.co.jp/RandD/HIL-TK/
About Honda
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (TSE:7267/NYSE:HMC/LSE:HNDA) is one of the
leading manufacturers of automobiles and power products and the
largest manufacture of motorcycles in the world. Honda has always
sought to provide genuine satisfaction to people worldwide. The
result is more than 120 manufacturing facilities in 30 countries
worldwide, producing a wide range of products, including
motorcycles, ATVs, generators, marine engines, lawn and garden
equipment and automobiles that bring the company into contact with
over 19 million customers annually. For more information, please
visit http://world.honda.com.
Source: Honda
Contact:
Honda
Media Inquiries
corporate_pr@hm.honda.co.jp
+81-3-5412-1512
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