The Afeela, Sony Honda Mobility's first virtual prototype, is unveiled in a music video

Not long ago we learned that Honda and Sony had joined forces to launch a joint automotive company. And at CES 2023 we had the chance to see the first proposal from this venture that brings together two of Japan’s leading companies. The Afeela surprised attendees at the technology event, though, admittedly, still in virtual form.

But although it is a prototype that has not yet been shown in physical form, it has starred in a music video clip. And not just any video. It appears in the new project of the K-Pop virtual star known as Apoki. This star has released her new single, “Mood V5“, in which the model appears and plays a particularly prominent role.

It is not the first time a car and an artist have crossed paths, but we can be sure it is one of the first times a collaboration of this kind has taken place. Both protagonists, artist and vehicle, are virtual entities, and both want to be part of the real world.

Apoki is a virtual K-Pop star , created by the technology start-up AFUN Interactive. To create her, they used high-quality CGI technology, which reproduces the movements of other K-Pop stars, and turned her into the country’s best-known virtual influencer.

According to its creators, talks between the two companies began months ago, when they learned about the Afeela project. They say both projects are very similar and share values. It was presented at last year’s CES in Las Vegas, where it showed the virtual vehicle that is set to reach the market in 2026.

In the case of the model from the joint brand of Honda and Sony, the former will handle everything related to the design and development of the vehicle, while Sony will focus on the technology equipment. That technology includes the equipment that will allow the car to have Level 3 autonomous driving.

The multimedia display that will control all this technology will extend across the entire front dashboard. Notably, the Afeela will even include a PlayStation 5, which won’t be used for driving but will help passengers enjoy the journey.

https://youtu.be/3Bv37TVWzks