CES 2020: Sony Surprises With Vision-S Prototype Sedan

| Updated: Tuesday, January 7, 2020, 17:29 [IST]

Sony's best-kept secret is out now. The Japanese company made one of the biggest surprise announcements at CES 2020 by unveiling the Sony Vision-S car. It is an electric concept automobile that highlights Sony's multiple strong points like camera sensors, entertainment factors, and so on. Sony says the concept sedan has as many as 33 unique sensors.

Sony Vision-S Features

These sensors include a wide range of 360 audio, multiple widescreen displays, always-on connectivity, and more. Sony notes that a ‘newly-designed EV platform' powers the Vision-S. The automotive supplier Magna is believed to have engineered the EV platform. Sony says that other vehicle types like SUVs can also be powered with this platform.

Taking a look at the new Sony Vision-S, the exterior gives away a ‘Porsche' feel. The interiors show off a screen that spans the entire length of the dashboard. Other manufacturers like Bosch and BlackBerry have also collaborated with Sony for audio and other sensor components.

Sony Working On Autonomous Technology

Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said the "prototype embodies our contribution to the future of mobility." While unveiling the prototype sedan comes as a bit of a surprise, Sony was reported to be working with sensors for autonomous cars. Confirming reports, the company announced that its successful image sensor division will add to the list of self-driving technology, including LiDAR and time-of-flight cameras.

"Sensor fusion technology which merges the capabilities of sensors of varied attributes to enable early and accurate recognition, even in challenging conditions such as fog, backlight and night-time driving," Sony explained. Plus, the Solid State LiDAR is believed to use accurate distance measurement to provide a precise 3D analysis of real-life spaces.

The Vision-S was unveiled towards the end of Sony's CES press conference and didn't unfurl much information, which left a lot of questions unanswered. For one, we don't know if the Vision-S will go for commercial production or if it'll remain a prototype.