Honda's doing it again. The Navigation System they're putting on the Hondas, and Acuras for Japan are vastly superior to the US counterparts. Just look at this part. Makes me mad!!!

Article Contents:
Tokyo, September 18, 2003 --- Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today introduced a rewritable, hard disk drive-based voice-activated car navigation system that doubles the data capacity of the previous generation system. The new system is an enhanced version of Honda's popular DVD Navigation System with voice recognition, which supports Honda's InterNavi Premium Club service and has received acclaim for the range of information it provides drivers. Honda also introduced the world's first application of a 'floating car data'*1 system as part of its InterNavi Premium Club service. This new system is now available as a factory option for the new Civic, with plans underway to expand availability to other models in the future.

In addition to doubling data capacity and allowing the rewriting of data, the new Honda HDD Navigation System offers faster searches and route planning along with enhanced display capabilities, and a variety of audio-visual functions. This improved functionality includes the capability to save audio CD tracks on the hard disk in MP3 format for later playback, and playback of DVD video.*2 Further, map data is updated free of charge two years after a new-car purchase.

Now why oh why does Honda deprive us of stuff that we desperately want, and get this, they're offering it in a Civic. I've got an '04 TL, and wanted MP3 capabilities, but not available period. Honda please give us what we want, maybe sales will improve even more. Quit keeping all the good stuff for Japan, and Europe.

 

OMG THat is SCHWEEEEETT

 

japan = testing grounds

we'll get it soon enough. another reason to "upgrade" your car

 

"Upgrade" as in buying the '05 or '06? Or upgrade as in upgrading the Nav unit? I think the former... I doubt the latter.

Oh well... I'l upgrade in about 6 or 7 years.

 

I think we are a long way from having the same quality navigation systems that currently exist in Japan. I don't think Honda is necessarily testing the system there before applying it here -- it's just that they have so much more to work with. Navigation systems in Japan have 3D graphics, show you the "EZ Pass" lanes, display where traffic lights are, etc. It's just so much easier to map the roads there given the small size of the country that significant resources can be devoted to graphics and other functions. I've included some images in the next few posts of Japanese navigation systems.

Here's a link to a demo of some navi screens too:
http://www.hdd-cybernavi.com/hdd/index.html

It seems that in some of them, you can even split the screen with navi information on one side and back-up camera/dvd video/pictures/detailed audio info on the other.

I always used to wonder why there aren't that many Japanese Americans. Now I know -- who would EVER want to leave??! I'm reading my "Japanese for Dummies" right now so I can move...


More pics:

http://www.dvd-rakunavi.com/function/lead/index.html

http://www.alpine.co.jp/alpine/navi0...2_3f1_5f4.html

http://www.alpine.co.jp/alpine/navi0...t/product.html

 

This is just amazing...

 

More

 

.

 

To a tech lover like myself, those images bring a tear to my eye.
:p

I wonder what NAV systems will look like in 15 years...3D holographic images??

 

by then you'll put in your destination and it will take you to it automatically.

 

That is just tooo sweet, I wonder if there will ever be enough room to fit the entire US w/that much detail.

 

The thing I'd most like to see is calculation of the best route given traffic patterns in major metro areas.

 

I agree the graphics are impressive, but without actually being in Tokyo and trying to use the system to get around, how do you know that all that eye candy is in reality more useful than what you have in the TL here?

Also, does it send you to the "nearest" Home Depot 50 miles away from the Home Depot parking lot you're in over there too?

Mike

 

we could never have something like this in the US. think about all the accidents from people who don't pay attention. people will be watching this too much and rear end people.

 

thanks princed. those japanese navs look awesome.

 

Thanks, princed.

It's true... Navi over there is not only a testing sample, but also the daily necessities for most of cars... How poor we are, we would only get what they left behind.

If we said Navi vs non-Navi in states is about 4:6, we would see the reverse number in J, 6:4, or maybe more. That island country has the strong faith and abilities to create/build their own system without getting any compensation for selling to other countries. I'm not saying how good they are, but they're really good in this type of field. Another example is Cellular phones, they use their own system and don't care of your GSM, TDMA, CDMA, etc... More...

Their government and car makers are trying their best to work out technologies for their ppl. Navi combines the toll, info, map, agencies, etc... all together.

If you see the fine and meticulous Navi system in our market, no matter who creates it, it's probably the outmoded products in J.

 

Extremely cool. I think another issue is that Japan is quite a bit smaller than the US. Think of how much data would have to be stored in some 3D type view. Would take engineers forever to generate or duplicate our large cities to some degree in that system.

 

Really neat but size does matter, and Japan is a lot smaller than the USA.

Also before anyone starts packing their bags take a look at the last ten years of the Japanese economy. Things have not been so rosy. I work for the Japanese and when you understand the country and its culture you can understand how they are able to have neater cell phones, HDTV and other neat electronic stuff before our broadcasters or cell phone providers can agree on a single standard.

Besides do you really want to learn to shift with your left hand

 

I'm really impressed!

Some things that crossed my mind:

(1) I wonder what the "doubles the data capacity of the previous generation system" amount is?

(2) They may be using an entire DVD for just Japan to get this level of detail. If so, a similar setup for the USA would be dozens (hundreds?) of DVDs.

(3) You're complaining now about missing businesses and streets? Think of all the buildings that wouldn't be in the USA equivilent.

(4) Hard drives with spinning disks don't do well in an auto environment due to impact shocks from all directions during driving. I wonder what the failure rate of the system is?

(5) Does their system lag by 30 feet?

 

Personally I think shifting with left hand isnt' hard... i drove it in england... and it was peace of cake.... loved it... but bit scare to make wrong move or turn.

 

I wonder how the cabbies get on without it if it's a daily necessity. Never saw a Nav in one there, never got lost!

Nav is not a true "necessity" no matter how you slice it. It is cool, though, and getting cooler.

Mike

 

Let's face it, Japan is a small island compared to the US. I don't think there would be enough room to get inthat detail for the entire US.

Having said that, I like the other optional features! Free upgrade for 2 years, storage of MP3's on the HD, DVD playing...

 

Of course, the local taxi wouldn't need it, neither does school bus driver. I don't want to magnify my imagination of "necessity", and just wanna say there are more ppl out there appreciating how good Navi can bring to them. That's the same feeling 04TL Navi brings to us in states.

Cabbies buy the commercial vehicles instead of regular sedans, too. But I can expect GPS+Navi+Security+Services wokring together with service industries closer and closer.

 

I can see that too, with a link back to the dispatch center to track and optimize the locations of all the vehicles.

Mike

 

Does anyone know if they increased the graphic resolution beyond the current QVGA (320 x 240)?

 

SWEET!!!!
Thanks, princed.

 

Dam,
Thats the best navigation graphics I have ever seen.
Even with graphics, I would hope the content would improve greatly. Extremely disappointed in the data on the DVD as well as searching for places.

 

You're supposed to use Nav in places you don't know; in that case, the incomplete database is better than nothing. For places that you know, you shouldn't have to use it and so the incomplete database shouldn't matter.

Mike