Nissan has announced new driver-assistance technology, currently in development, that uses highly accurate, real-time information about the vehicle’s surrounding environment to dramatically enhance collision avoidance.
Known as “ground truth perception” technology, the development fuses information from next-generation high-performance lidar, radar, and cameras.
Nissan said the technology can detect the shape and distance of objects, as well as the structure of the area surrounding the vehicle, in real time with a high degree of accuracy. Using this information, it is possible for the vehicle to instantly analyse situations and automatically perform collision-avoidance operations. Ground truth perception can also detect slow traffic and road obstacles in the distance, in addition to executing lane changes accordingly. The technology can also provide increased support to drivers in areas where detailed map information is not available.
Takao Asami, Senior Vice President Global Research and Development, said Nissan is the first vehicle manufacturer to market a number of advanced driver assistance technologies. “When we look at the future of autonomous driving, we believe that it is of utmost importance for owners to feel highly confident in the safety of their vehicle. We are confident that our in-development ground truth perception technology will make a significant contribution to owner confidence, reduced traffic accidents, and autonomous driving in the future,” he said.
Nissan partnered with “cutting-edge” companies to research and develop the technology and share know-how. The next-generation lidar, a crucial element, is being integrated into Nissan’s system in collaboration with global automotive technology company Luminar, using world-leading technologies. With advanced collision avoidance control, Nissan said it is critical to develop highly accurate verification technology in a digital environment, prompting it to team with software company, Applied Intuition, which it said has state-of-the-art simulation technology.
Nissan aims to complete the development of ground truth perception technology by the mid-2020s. It will first be available on select new models, then on almost every new model by fiscal year 2030.