Honda Announces Navigation CD With Map Display for Cars

Honda Motor Co. said today it has developed inertial navigation equipment for automobiles that always provides accurate information to the driver.

The major Japanese automobile maker said the new system combines navigation technology such as one used for aircraft and a map database system using a compact disk.

The distance driven is measured by the Vehicle Speed Sensor and the changes in direction are measured by the high-precision Gas Rate Sensor to calculate the route traveled, the company said.

The route traveled is continually checked against the road information stored on the compact disk.

The current location and direction and the route traveled are displayed on a road map on a 6-inch color cathode ray tube display, the company said.

The vehicle’s position and its direction are displayed in the center of the map, and the route traveled is displayed as a dotted line. When the destination is designated, the travel direction is shown by a solid line and the distance as the crow flies is shown in kilometers, the company said.

The company said the map database on a single compact disk contains most information needed for ordinary driving such as the names of prefectures (states) and cities, intersections and public and leisure facilities, which are displayed in a color scheme.