Next Gen Nissan - Jetson's Model

YOKOSUKA,Japan December 9, 2003; Yuri Kageyama writing for the AP reported that Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co. is developing a safety system that combines a radar and camera to help drivers brake and steer better to avoid crashes.

The feature was shown to reporters Tuesday in test drives at Nissan's research center near Tokyo.

Nissan also showed a new cruise control system similar to the one available on General Motors Corp.'s Cadillacs, which allows your car to automatically follow the one in front at a safe distance.

Nissan and Japanese rivals Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. already offer safety features on some models here that strengthen a car's braking power or tighten passengers' seat belts in anticipation of a crash.

But the Nissan car shown Tuesday, equipped with the still-experimental braking system for avoiding collisions, can detect a car about 100 meters (330 feet) ahead by sensing the reflection of light bouncing off the rear of the car in front and will brake on its own.

The system also helps the driver's steering by increasing the braking on the left wheel or the right wheel at different times to lessen the loss of control that comes with steering while braking.

In a test drive, the car slowed down and veered sharply to avoid a crash, skidding and lurching to the side.

The laser radar, which is in the front grille of the car, can only detect light from reflectors on the rear of a car so it cannot recognize pedestrians, head-on crashes or vehicles from the side. The camera is stuck near the windshield.

Nissan also demonstrated its new adaptive cruise control system, which will be offered in a luxury model set to go on sale in Japan next year.

The car moves automatically to follow the car in front at set distance even at slow speeds, for example, about 15 meters (50 feet) running at 20 kph (12 mph), braking on its own if the driver steps on the accelerator and gets too close to the car in front.

Drivers need only keep their hands on the steering wheel although the temptation may be to do nothing at all or start reading a book.

The system is considered handy for the frequent bumper-to-bumper traffic on Japan's congested highways, Nissan officials said. General Manager Yasuhiro Shiraishi said the company is considering offering the feature in North America but no date has been set.

Nissan's fuel cell vehicle was also available for test drives.

Fuel cell vehicles produce virtually no pollution because they run on the energy produced when hydrogen in its fuel tank combines with the oxygen in the air to become water. All the world's automakers are working on fuel cell vehicles.

Nissan's model uses a fuel cell stack developed together with United Technologies Corp., a U.S. aviation and fuel cell company and a compact lithium-ion battery that Nissan developed on its own.

Nissan said a couple of the fuel cell vehicles will be available for leasing in the next few months. But fuel cell vehicles are not expected to be viable consumer products for years because of their high costs.