Nissan has showcased its latest autonomous driving technology through a new pilot in the Minato Mirai area of Yokohama, Japan.
In the pilot, the automaker’s autonomous test vehicle navigated a public road in a complex urban environment, notably without a driver behind the wheel. As it continues to pilot the technology, Nissan is ultimately looking to utilize it in a mobility service planned for launch in Japan.
The test vehicles used in this pilot are based on the Nissan Serena and incorporate a sensor suite consisting of 14 cameras, nine radars and six LiDAR sensors. The roof-mounted sensors offer enhanced detection by leveraging the height of the minivan while enabling the more accurate detection of its surroundings. In addition to these sensors, the vehicles are likewise leveraging AI to enhance their recognition, behavioral prediction and judgment, as well as their control in order to deliver consistently seamless operations across a range of of complex scenarios.
With safety positioned as an essential priority throughout the Yokohama pilot, Nissan highlighted that its engineers verified an extensive number of possible scenarios along the driving route, added an immediate stop function for emergencies, and introduced a number of intentional redundancies.
While demonstrating the progress of its autonomous technology in Japan, the automaker underlined its broader mission to establish and verify the safety of this technology to different traffic conditions around the world. In accomplishing this goal, it is aiming to utilize the insights and technologies gained not only through its research in Japan, but also its research in Silicon Valley (through the Nissan Advanced Technology Center) and its participation in the UK’s evolvAD project.
