Sony may be one of the names that made the biggest surprise in the car category at this year’s CES fair. This product, called Sony Vision-S, is the electric concept sedan model of the company, which wants to show power in many different categories from the entertainment products of the Japanese technology conglomerate to camera sensors and more.
In fact, the Vision-S has 33 different sensors inside and outside the car, multiple widescreens, 360 audio and always-on connectivity, and some parts come from industry players like BlackBerry and Bosch. It’s also powered by a “redesigned EV platform” designed by automotive supplier Magna, which Sony says could power other types of vehicles, such as the SUV.
There are some strong Porsche vibes on the outside of the car, especially around the headlights and on the side profiles, some Lucid Motor Air. On the inside of the Vision-S vehicle, there are screens that spread over the dashboard and headrests behind the steering wheel, which China’s EV startup Byton has placed in cars.
“This prototype embodies our contributions to the future of mobility,” said Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida.
The company announced the car at the back end of its CES press conference, where it revealed the logo for the upcoming PlayStation 5. Sony only discussed the car for a minute or two before ending its press conference, thus leaving tons of unanswered questions. Does Sony (or Magna) want to put this into production, or is it just a reference car? Will Magna allow other companies to create their own prototypes or reference tools on the platform?
Sony also announced that its successful image sensor division is investing in self-sustaining technologies, including LIDAR and Time-of-Flight cameras. Below is a snippet of the press release on how the company announced these investments.
CMOS image sensors achieve high sensitivity, high resolution and high dynamic range by suppressing LED flicker*3 to ensure accurate object recognition, even in traditionally difficult-to-detect situations.
Solid State LiDAR that uses highly accurate distance measurement to precisely 3D capture real-life spaces.
Sensor fusion technology that combines the capabilities of sensors with various features to provide early and accurate recognition even in harsh conditions such as fog, backlight and night driving.
