Mitsubishi to show high-tech Emirai 3 concept cars in Tokyo

Mitsubishi to show high-tech Emirai 3 concept cars in Tokyo

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation plans to highlight next-generation automotive technologies at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show. It will show two related forward-looking concept cars, the Emirai 3 xDas and the Emirai 3 xAuto. The former packs a high-tech, multi-screen cockpit with next-generation human-machine interface, while the latter has a range of automated driving features.

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The Emirai has come a long way since 2013, when Mitsubishi revealed the Emirai 2 xDas, pictured below. While styling doesn't seem to be an important focal point of the Emirai family, Mitsubishi has nonetheless given the new car an interesting design that should pull people away from the other sights of the Tokyo show.

The new two-seat roadster has some visual pop courtesy of the tapered body design, minimalistic windscreen, oversized, illuminated wheels and black-and-white paint job. It's certainly a better look than the barely-styled arcade-game block that covered the Emirai 2 xDas concept cockpit.

The real focus is past the open driver door well, where a highly advanced digital interface awaits the driver. The system has single peripheral displays on either side of the digital gauge cluster and what looks like a two-part display in the center console. All those LCDs are laminated with an optical bonding process to cut reflections, improve visibility and enhance operation. Mitsubishi has minimized the space between displays so that they can team up to produce larger images.

The display system is designed to better interface with the driver to cut distractions and keep him or her focused. Gesture control eliminates the need to look at the screen for basic adjustments, keeping the driver's eyes on the road. The next-generation telematics system analyzes mapping data to identify potential problems on the road ahead and proactively assist the driver. For instance, if an upcoming intersection has poor visibility, it will automatically pipe video feed of the cross street in from the side-view cameras to help the driver compensate.

As if there weren't enough displays already, the Emirai 3 xDas also packs a 3D head-up display directly in the driver's line of sight. This unit shows 3D images of objects up to about 33 feet (10 m) ahead of the car and changes view based on driving conditions (such as when turning or merging onto the freeway).

In addition to keeping virtual eyes on the road ahead, the Emirai 3 xDas keeps an eye on the driver. A cardiograph based on technology co-developed with the National University Corporation Kyushu Institute and a camera monitor the driver, and the telematics system compares the driver's state with cloud-based data on past driving sessions, making recommendations as to when it's time to stop and take a break.

Other interesting features of the design include wearable device vibration alerts about vehicle information and remote control of smart home appliances.

While the Emirai 3 xDas focuses primarily on interior technology, the Emirai 3 xAuto focuses on automated driving tech. It includes features such as millimeter-wave radar object sensing, road risk prediction, high-accuracy 3D mapping, vehicle/road-to-vehicle communications and high-precision motion control.