Acura has introduced a new self-driving test car that, according to the automaker, has the capacity to "support more complex testing scenarios."
In a statement, Acura says its second-generation automated Acura RLX development vehicle is crammed with new Lidar, camera, radar plus GPS sensors. Moreover, the RLX houses amped up CPUs and GPUs, heat management, enhanced cabling and circuitry.
All these improvements have been fused with smarter software algorithms to support complex testing scenarios.
The carmaker says the automated driving technologies are set to be rolled out beginning 2020.
"The development vehicle is designed to achieve high reliability by fusing overlapping information together from various sensors," says Acura. "This concept, known as sensor fusion, allows test engineers to validate information from each signal with a higher degree of accuracy than can be obtained from any one of the sensors independently."
Honda Research Institute USA will pave the way for the car testing at the GoMentum Station located in the Bay Area. This testing area is a 5,000-acre connected and automated car proving venue. It features 20 miles of paved roads, buildings and other infrastructures to replicate a real-world setting.
In March, Acura launched its revamped MDX model and MDX Sport Hybrid. These models took design cues from the Precision concept. These models are equipped with a diamond pentagon grille.
Both variants of the all-new MDX feature active sport suspension. They are also fitted with the so-called integrated dynamics system that boasts three driving modes, including Normal, Comfort and Sport. The Sport Hybrid model, though, has an extra mode, dubbed Sport+.
These 2017 Acura MDX models were officially unwrapped at the New York International Auto Show.
In the meantime, a few months ago, Acura also lifted the veils off its 2017 Acura NSX that packs three electric motors, a horsepower of more than 500 and four driving modes.
The Acura NSX, which was initially launched about 25 years ago, came back with a $156,000 price tag.
This all-new NSX has the capacity to push out a horsepower of 537 along with 476 foot-pounds of torque. Apart from the Quiet mode, it also has three other modes, which include Sport, Sport+ and Track. On top of that, the car comes with nine-speed transmission.
