Nissan Motor Co Ltd recently demonstrated its latest autonomous-drive (AD) technology in Yokohama — a demonstration that meant for the first time in Japan, a test vehicle with no driver in the car has navigated a public road in a complex urban environment. Nissan said it has developed this proprietary technology for a mobility service it plans to launch in Japan, one that will ‘empower mobility by resolving transportation service challenges faced by local communities, such as driver shortages resulting from an aging population’.
Nissan is ‘maximising its efforts’ to establish and verify the safety of AD technology tailored to different traffic conditions worldwide. To do this, it is using insights and technologies gained through research in Japan, research in Silicon Valley conducted by the Nissan Advanced Technology Centre, and participation in the UK’s
evolvAD project.
The latest test vehicles are based on the Serena — Japan’s top-selling minivan — and incorporate 14 cameras, nine radars and six LiDAR (light detection and ranging) sensors. The roof-mounted sensors offer a significantly expanded detection by taking advantage of the height of the Serena and enabling more accurate detection of its surroundings compared to earlier test vehicles. In addition, the use of AI has significantly enhanced recognition, behavioural prediction and judgment, as well as control, thereby ensuring smooth operation in a variety of complex scenarios.
To ensure the utmost safety for the test vehicle demonstration, Nissan engineers verified an extensive number of possible scenarios along the driving route, added an immediate stop function for emergencies, and introduced intentional redundancies.
Demonstration tests involving about 20 vehicles are to take place in Yokohama in fiscal years 2025 to 2026, followed by the building of an ‘operational framework and service ecosystem with stakeholders’. In fiscal year 2027, Nissan aims to provide autonomous driving mobility services, in collaboration with municipalities and transportation operators and featuring remote monitoring.