Tokyo, March 17, 1998 - As part of a coming series of events celebrating its 50th anniversary, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced today the opening of the Honda Fan Fun Lab at Twin Ring Motegi, located in Motegi-cho, Tochigi Prefecture. This facility opens for a limited one-year period commencing March 21st (Sat.), 1998.
The Honda Fan Fun Lab is a theme hall where Honda's worldwide corporate activities and dreams for the near future are displayed through easily understandable displays.
Honda Fan Fun Lab
The facility consists of eight display zones representing eight different themes, and the Cylinder Theater. The latter uses a sophisticated audio-visual system to introduce Honda corporate activities.
In the exhibition zones, Honda's current and futuristic technologies and products, which will possibly pioneer a new spectrum in mobility and other areas, are introduced. All the exhibitions displayed at the Environment Lab, Safety Technology Lab and others embody Honda's commitment toward coexistence with the earth and creation of new values.
The Cylinder Theater, featuring a cylindrical 13 meter-diameter 360° wrap-around screen, transmits Honda's messages for the 21st century through an audio-visual presentation. The theater accommodates up to 120 visitors at a time.
The Honda Fan Fun Lab offers a unique experience to visitors. Through their own hands-on experience, visitors will be able to understand Honda.
More specifically, Honda offers EV PLUS which enables visitors to experience the feeling of a test-drive, a riding simulator for the safety-driving experience, the InterNavi which is the next-generation navigation system and so on.
For children, My Design Factory offers an opportunity to design their own automobiles or motorcycles by using computers. The printout can be taken home.
Introduction to Honda Fan Fun Lab Features
Cylinder Theater:
In a cylindrical theater room, imitating an engine cylinder, visitors ride on a huge piston that moves up and down inside the wraparound display screen. Through dynamic vision and sound, Honda's global activities and dreams in the coming 21st century are shown.
Exhibition title: The Dream (VTR: 13 minutes)
Laboratories:
A. Global Environment Lab:
Introduces Honda's next-generation technology for environmental preservation, ranging from low-emission engines to new power systems. Honda has imposed extremely difficult technical challenges upon itself in order to further contribute to solutions concerning global environmental issues.
| Theme: | New Ways for Enhanced Traffic Safety | |
| Exhibitions: | ● | Evolution of Gasoline Engines; Honda IMA system, ULEV/ZLEV, Motorcycle Hybrid System (M.H.S), BF130 - outboard motor meeting the Marine Engine Emission Standards set for 2006 by the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States, etc. |
| ● | Alternative Energies; Compressed Natural Gas Vehicle, NGV (Civic GX), Honda EV PLUS and Racoon Powerstation. |
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| ● | Recycling Promotion; Recycling system for automobiles. |
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| ● | Environmental Protection at Factories and Offices; Green Factory Project. |
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B. Safety Technology Lab:
Introduces the latest information on Honda's various innovative technologies for driving safety and training programs for the promotion of traffic safety awareness and skill.
| Theme: | New Ways for Enhanced Traffic Safety | |
| Exhibitions: | ● |
Predictive and Preventive Safety Technology; ASV-1 |
| ● | Crash Avoidance; ASV-2 | |
| ● | Pedestrian Protection; ASV-3 | |
| ● | Vehicle Behavior Stabilization; VSA and ATTS | |
| ● | Motorcycle Braking-System; CBS + ABS | |
| ● | Improved Crash Safety; Crash proof body structure | |
| ● | Promotion activities for safety driving and Honda Riding Simulator |
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C. Traffic/Transportation Lab:
Introduces next-generation traffic control systems and intelligent automobiles developed for a comfortable coexistence between human beings and traffic.
| Theme: | For Man, Society and the Vehicle of Tomorrow. | |
| Exhibitions: | ● |
Traffic Control System in the Near Future; ICVS |
| ● | Approach toward Intelligent Automobiles; AHS | |
| ● | New Generation Navigation Systems: Navigation system with Wandering Sensing Device and InterNavi System |
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D. Production Lab:
Introduces the Honda's production procedures, technologies, ideas and teamwork with collaborating manufacturers through the simulated production line named Team Honda.
| Theme: | Factory for Creative People | |
| Exhibitions: | ● |
Birth of the Automobile; Pioneer production technologies and Team Honda |
E. HONDA NEXT Lab:
Introduces Honda's latest achievements in new-era technology, including Robot and Jet Plane.
| Theme: | Toward a New Honda World for New Generation | |
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A Challenge for New Frontiers; Autonomously-walking Human Robot Painters Team and Clean-up Team to demonstrate the controlling technologies Turbofan engines for small aircraft and Experimental jet plane |
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| ● | New Clean-Energy Technology for a More Comfortable Life; Gas heat pump power unit GF160V, Absorption-type air conditioner and micro cogeneration system |
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F. R&D Lab:
Introduces true stories behind the NSX and other R&D development work. Visitors are able to enjoy creating their own original designs at a design workshop.
| Theme: | Let's Create Something Different! | |
| Exhibitions: | ● |
The development story of NSX, Gold Wing and the 360 degree installable four-stroke engine |
| ● | Design Workshop; My Design Factory | |
| ● | New Conceptual Proposals; Exhibition of design study models | |
G. Motorsports Lab:
Introduces Honda's motorsports activities illustrating its challenging spirit. The company has been known for its active involvement in the Mobile Laboratory.
| Theme: | The Race Track Is Honda's Other Laboratory | |
| Exhibitions: | ● |
The challenge of motorsports activities: Honda's racing spirit |
| ● | Promotion of motorsports culture: Twin Ring Motegi, Suzuka Circuit, Side-by-Side racing car | |
H. Honda Shop Lab:
Introduces Honda's products and activities specially designed for each region.
| Theme: | Continuously Providing New Methods of Mobility at a Global Level | |
| Exhibitions: | ● |
Products of North America, Europe and Asia/Oceania |
| ● | Honda's Unique Suggestion for Increasing Mobility; CR-V + canoe, outboard motors and leisure-oriented motorcycles. |
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| ● | Social Activities: Education, culture and sports welfare, Econo Power Competition, etc. |
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Brief Introduction to Honda Fan Fun Lab
| Exhibition period | One year commencing March 21 (Sat.), 1998 |
| Location | Event Hall at Twin Ring Motegi |
| Address | c/o Twin Ring Motegi, Oaza-hinokiyama, Motegi-cho, Haga-gun, Tochigi Tel.: 0285-64-0151 |
| Building | Single-story |
| Overall floor area | 4,352m2 |
| Opening hours* | 10:00~17:00 *The closing hour will change according to seasons and events. |
| Curator | Hirotoshi Kizawa |
| Staff members | 30 |
| Exhibitions | approx. 180 items |
| Admission | Free (Twin Ring Motegi general admission is required) |
| Closures | Corresponding to Twin Ring Motegi |
Honda Fan Fun Lab Map
A. Global Environment Lab
B. Safety Technology Lab
C. Traffic/Transportation Lab
D. Production Lab
E. Honda NEXT Lab
F. R&D Lab
G. Motorsports Lab
H. Honda Shop Lab