The folks at Nissan believe the future of driving is autonomous, and they are committed to equipping their models with driver assistance technologies, including an expanded version of the car maker’s ProPILOT safety suite that will feature LIDAR.
The package will soon include “ground truth perception”, or Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology. Under the Nissan Ambition 2030 vision, the Japanese brand will reduce the number of automotive accidents by utilising this new collision-avoidance technology.
While select models will be offered with LIDAR in the near future, it will be a standard feature across virtually every new Nissan after 2030. To achieve its goal, Nissan has partnered with automotive-tech giant Luminar.
Luminar already works with the likes of Mercedes-Benz and Volvo on their LIDAR technology. Meanwhile, software company Applied Intuition will develop scenarios for the vehicle’s onboard computer, preparing it for the stickiest of situations.
The ProPILOT Concept Zero test vehicle (pictured) previews this new technology on a Nissan Skyline. To detect road obstacles and slowed traffic, a set of radars and cameras analyse the surrounding environment in real-time to make safe manoeuvres.
For instance, if a vehicle dangerously enters the lane ahead, the system will assess the situation before prompting the car to make a safe lane change.
“In-development ground truth perception technology will make a significant contribution to owner confidence, reduced traffic accidents and autonomous driving in the future,” Nissan global research and development senior VP Takao Asami said.
That said, with LIDAR equipment often unattractively bolted onto the roof of a car, it’s clear a few hurdles still need to be cleared before it becomes mainstream tech. It’s something Nissan and its partners are working on.
