Are You Ready For a Fully-Autonomous Vehicle From Nissan?

Nissan announced the new Serena, scheduled to go on sale in Japan in late August. What’s so special about this vehicle? The vehicle will come equipped with the company’s ProPILOT autonomous drive technology. Who is helping Nissan develop this new technology?

His name is Maarten Sierhuis, a former NASA scientist who once designed human-robot interactions and developed collaborative intelligent systems for space exploration. This rocket scientist is behind the development of artificial intelligence that's helping power the future of Nissan's autonomous vehicles.

What can consumers expect in the near future?

Around a decade from now, consumers will see new Nissan vehicles with their autonomous vehicle strategy. Nissan says it will be focused on providing drivers with new choices on the road toward a fully "self-driving" vehicle. What does that mean for you?

That means Nissan is attempting to bring out cars and trucks in the near future that will allow you to choose whether to turn over command to automated driving systems at various points during a journey, or you can remain in control throughout. Even if the driver is controlling the vehicle, the autonomous features will continue to monitor conditions and, in the event of imminent danger, assist the driver in avoiding an accident.

Will it work in the real world?

Sierhuis, who holds a Ph.D. in artificial intelligence from the University of Amsterdam, along with his team, says they will study how humans interact with the systems and ensuring that they "build systems that are good for people.” The first of these systems have already been introduced. Known as "ProPILOT," it allows cars to drive autonomously and safely in heavy, stop-and-go traffic on highways. (More on Page 2).

In 2018, Nissan will roll out a "multiple-lane control" application that Nissan says will be able to “autonomously negotiate hazards and change lanes during highway driving.” Around the year 2020, the Japanese auto giant plans to add the capability for the vehicle to navigate city driving and intersections without driver intervention.

Nissan is planning to launch 10 models with significant autonomous driving functionalities in the U.S., Japan, Europe and China. The technology is only about 10 years away. Stay tuned.

Watch Nissan’s new Serena ProPILOT Technology Makes Autonomous Drive First for Japanese Automakers video

Source: Nissan USA

Image source: Nissan