Honda NeuV introduces Al assistant with 'emotion engine'

A new year has begun and already, a promising leap in technology was debuted by world-renowned Japanese brand car manufacturer, Honda. Undeniably as time passed by, the innovation of technology has made humans to do less work as machines and computers gained more control to do specific tasks.

Computer driven cars are not that new at all. However, Honda introduces its latest concept vehicle that can do beyond all cars can do. Honda's latest concept vehicle, the NeuV, is perhaps the current strongest example of how far car makers are willing to go in mixing AI and cars. Aside from being a self-driving electric vehicle, the NeuV features a smart assistant that can "read" your emotions and even earn you money on the sides.

The NeuV, which stands for New electric urban vehicle, boasts a virtual butler equipped with what Honda calls an "emotion engine". In simpler terms according to Auto Engine, NeuV tries to determine the driver's current emotional state via body language, body readings, and current actions. NeuV's emotion engine them mixes this data with the driver's past actions and then attempts to make recommendations or, in the most drastic and necessary cases, even take action. It goes beyond the usual AI assistant capabilities of telling you your schedule, warning you about the weather and so on.

Aside from that amazing feature, NeuV also can be independent and take action for the owner financial benefit. How? As reported by Tech Crunch, Honda says that cars usually sit idle and parked 96% of the time. In those cases, with the owner's permission of course, the NeuV can turn itself into a ride-sharing car, without the driver physically being there. On the other hand, the NeuV can also sell its stored electricity reserves back to the power grid when it not needed as it is EV powered by a 20kWh battery pack, with 55kW motors on the rear axle.

Reportedly, inside the Neuve is a dashboard that is essentially a large touchscreen that both the driver and passenger can operate. The NeuV also seems to be a very small car but it was described to have decent storage space behind the seats, according to Performance Drive.

Honda’s NeuV is a mini electric concept car with emotional intelligence https://t.co/wqxFspwVMX #CES2017 pic.twitter.com/Mkp7Kwiu4o

— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) January 6, 2017

The NeuV is one of the vehicles under Honda's new "Cooperative Mobility Ecosystem" campaign, a fusion of artificial intelligence, robotics, and big data to drive the future of mobility. Yoshiyuki Masumoto, president and CEO of Honda R&D Co, said: "Since our founding, Honda has focussed on creating technologies that help people. Our goal is to showcase a future technology path that results in a redefined mobility experience."