Honda Motor Company has announced that it has agreed to collaborate with US-based technology company Mythic Inc to co-develop a system-on-chip (SoC) for its future software-defined vehicles (SDVs). The Japanese automaker said that with this partnership, it is looking to develop new technologies that will “enhance the computing performance and energy efficiency of AI for automated driving and other features of its SDVs.”

Honda said it had previously invested in earlier stages of the Texas-based start-up company, which it says has “original technologies and a proven track record in its field of technologies.” Honda confirmed that its R&D unit, Honda R&D Company Ltd, will work with Mythic to co-develop automotive SoCs.

Honda sees the enhanced application of intelligent technologies as being key to addressing safety issues, which it said “makes the advancement of high-performance SoC for SDVs essential.”

Honda said that as AI technologies continue to advance, further innovation is required to enhance computing performance and energy efficiency. “With a view to building computing infrastructures which will contribute to the application of next-generation intelligent technologies, Honda is actively exploring neuromorphic SoC technology, which draws inspiration from how the human brain works.”

Honda said Mythic has particular expertise in semiconductor technologies that leverage analogue computing, which achieves high-efficiency AI processing with low power consumption. “For the development of neuromorphic SoCs, Mythic has original analogue compute-in-memory (CiM) technology and a proven track record in software implementation using tools such as software development kits (SDKs). With its analogue CiM, Mythic is working to minimise data movement for computation and achieve both high computing performance and energy efficiency.”