Nissan keeps self-driving simple – and not quite autonomous
YOKOSUKA, Japan — Self-driving cars may be all the rage, but when it’s a real product, coming soon from Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co., the technology gets toned down. And so don’t expect to the driver to disappear for years to come.
The Serena minivan equipped with ProPilot technology relies on a single camera in the back of the driver’s rearview mirror. The car can then follow the vehicle ahead, maintaining a safe distance that the driver sets.
It also recognizes lanes so it won’t swerve off. If the car it is following moves to another lane, it’s smart enough to find the next car ahead of it and start following that one. And it keeps going on a freeway at a set speed.
ProPilot is designed to ease stress on stop-and-go congested roads common in Japan, as well as long drives on uncongested roads, like the interstate highways in the U.S., when a driver might tire and get sleepy.