Honda launches first Level 3 automated driving system recognized by Japan

The safety system, fitted to the Legend Hybrid EX available for lease in Japan, features Traffic Jam Pilot, the first Level 3 automated technology to be recognized by authorities, with Hands-off and Emergency Stop Assist features.
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. began lease sales in Japan today of a Legend Hybrid EX equipped with Honda Sensing Elite featuring the Traffic Jam Pilot function, which it says is the first SAE Level 3 automated technology to be recognized by Japanese authorities. Its development is part of the company’s effort to realize a collision-free society based on its global safety slogan, “Safety for Everyone.”

The “elite” Traffic Jam Pilot technology qualifies for Level 3 automated driving (conditional automated driving in limited area), for which the company received type designation from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) — which it announced in November. Traffic Jam Pilot technology enables the automated driving system to drive the vehicle under certain conditions, such as when the vehicle is in congested traffic on an expressway.

The system determines vehicle position and road conditions using data from three-dimensional high-definition maps and the GNSS (global navigation satellite system), detecting the vehicle’s 360-degree surroundings using several external sensors. It also tracks driver “condition” using a monitoring camera inside the vehicle. Based on a range of information, the main ECU makes proper recognitions, predictions, and decisions and applies a high-level control to acceleration, braking, and steering inputs to assist the driver “to achieve high-quality and smooth driving.”

As most AV system developers are increasingly doing, Honda
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