Nissan developing highly accurate automatic collision avoidance tech – next-gen LiDAR detects size, shape

What is essential for autonomous driving? It is the ability to avoid collision in any situation, Nissan says. To realise the future that is self-driving cars, Nissan has begun developing an improved version of its collision avoidance system.

The new system – dubbed “ground truth perception technology” – will allow Nissan vehicles to perform collision-avoidance manoeuvres automatically, and with a high degree of accuracy. It uses a combination of next-generation LiDAR technology (most crucial component here), radar and cameras to do the trick.

According to the automaker, the new system is able to detect the shape and distance of objects, as well as the structure of the area surrounding the vehicle in real time. It uses this array of information to instantly analyse the situation, judge and perform avoidance manoeuvres.

Besides that, it can also detect slowed traffic and road obstacles from a distance, as well as execute lane changes accordingly. Nissan says this is even more useful in areas where detailed map information is not available, such as deep sea tunnels or underground parking lots.

Nissan senior vice president for global R&D, Takao Asami said: “Nissan has been the first 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 during the company’s Ambition 2030 keynote.

To realise this goal, Nissan teamed up with tech giant Luminar (the same people Volvo and Mercedes-Benz are working with) for its hardware, as well as Applied Intuition for advanced simulations.

Nissan aims to complete the development of its ground truth perception technology by the middle of this decade. It is expected to be rolled out on selected models immediately after, before being made standard on virtually every new model by fiscal year 2030.

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