Yamaha Motor : Partners with Sony to Develop SC-1 Sociable Cart — Delivering New Low-Speed Mobility Experience Value —
August 21, 2019 at 12:13 am EDT
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August 21, 2019
IWATA, August 21, 2019 - Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (Tokyo:7272) announced today that it has developed the SC-1 Sociable Cart, a vehicle that delivers a new low-speed mobility experience, jointly with Sony Corporation. The SC-1 brings together a fusion of Yamaha Motor's autonomous driving technology and Sony's entertainment imaging technology. The two companies plan to launch Japanese domestic services using this model in fiscal 2019. The SC-1 was developed solely for the purpose of providing a new mobility experience, and will not be made available for sale.
As well as images of the surroundings captured by cameras, the SC-1 can project a range of video and mixed reality (MR) images which suit its current location onto the high-resolution displays installed on the vehicle interior and exterior. Doing so creates an entertainment space unmatched by any traditional vehicle, aiming to provide a more enjoyable low-speed mobility value to occupants and people nearby.
In addition, the SC-1 applies AI analysis to data about the vehicle's surroundings gathered by the advanced image sensors, ultrasonic sensors, and LiDAR2 system, enabling display of optimal travel assistance, as well as the ideal information (route guidance, store information, entertainment, news streaming, advertisements, etc.) to suit people's attributes such as age and gender.
1: Imaging by mixed reality (MR) technology developed by Sony 2: Technology which uses lasers to detect the range and direction of objects by emitting laser light and measuring the time taken for it to bounce back
To date, Yamaha Motor has worked together with Sony on vehicle development through initiatives such as the prototype model based on electric golf cars (announced in 2016) and the New Concept Cart SC-1 concept model (announced in 2017), and pursued both technology development and evaluation of customer requirements via projects including the Moonlight Cruise limited-time night-time golf course ride experience service at Kanucha Resort (in Nago City, Okinawa).
This joint development forms part of 'ART for Human Possibilities, Rethinking Solutions, Transforming Mobility,' one aspect of the Company's long-term vision. Yamaha Motor is engaged in providing enjoyable mobility and addressing social issues in the unique style of Yamaha through its diverse product groups such as electric golf cars, small and low speed PPMs (Public Personal Mobility: land cars), electric motorcycles, electrically power assisted bicycles, electric wheelchairs, and drones.
Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. published this content on 21 August 2019 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 21 August 2019 04:12:08 UTC
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. specializes in the construction and marketing of motorcycles, all terrain vehicles and boats. The group also develops engine manufacturing activity. Net sales break down by family of products as follows:
- sale of motorcycles (65.3%): 4.8 million units sold in 2022. Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. also offers all-terrain vehicles, off-road recreational vehicles, snowmobiles and electric bicycles;
- manufacturing of marine motor equipment and watercraft (23%): ooutboard engines, jet skis, fishing boats, utility boats, etc. ;
- sale of industrial machines and robots (5.2%);
- provision of financial services (2.8%);
- other (3.7%): primarily golf carts, snow blowers, generators and multi-purpose engines and automobile engines and components.
Net sales are distributed geographically as follows: Japan (7.3%), Asia (40.1%), North America (25.3%), Europe (13.9%) and other (13.4%).