Honda Co-developing Automobile SoC with U.S.-based Mythic to Accelerate Research to Enhance AI Computing Performance and Energy Efficiency

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda) announced plans to co-develop system-on-a-chip (SoC) for its software-defined vehicles (SDVs), with Mythic, a Texas, U.S.-based technology company.

Honda has invested in Mythic, which has original technologies and a proven track record in this field of technologies, to establish technologies to enhance the computing performance and energy efficiency of AI to be used for automated driving and other features of its SDVs. Today, Honda announced plans for Honda R&D Co., Ltd., the R&D subsidiary of Honda, to co-develop automobile SoC with Mythic.

In order to continue offering the “joy and freedom of mobility” in a sustainable manner, Honda has been placing the highest priority on addressing environmental and safety challenges. In particular, enhanced application of intelligent technology will be the key to addressing safety issues. This makes the advancement of high-performance SoC for SDVs essential; therefore, Honda is conducting research and development of digital computing technologies.

Looking ahead, as AI technologies continue to advance, further innovation is required in technologies 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, that draws inspiration from how the human brain works.

Mythic is a startup company with strong expertise in semiconductor technologies that leverage analog computing, which achieves high-efficiency AI processing with low power consumption. For the development of neuromorphic SoC, Mythic has original analog compute-in-memory (CiM) technology and a proven track record in software implementation using tools such as software development kit (SDK). With its analog CiM, Mythic is working to minimize data movement for computation and achieve both high computing performance and energy efficiency.

Honda has invested in Mythic to pay close attention to original technologies of Mythic and respond flexibly to future changes in the technological environment and societal trends. Moreover, Honda R&D will leverage its expertise and technologies amassed through the design of its original AI models and the research and development of electronic control units and integrate the original technology of Mythic into AI computing functions that consist of SoC. With that, Honda R&D will further accelerate the research and development of SoC for next-generation SDVs, to further enhance computing performance and energy efficiency.

For more information, visit Honda and Mythic.