Nissan’s ProPilot keeps self-driving simple – and not quite autonomous

The system controls the position of the auto relative to the vehicle in front, while driving at speeds between 20 miles per hour and 60 miles per hour.

The price of the new Serena will be announced at the time of the launch but is expected to be ¥3 million or below. When necessary, the system will automatically apply the brakes and ultimately bring the vehicle to a complete halt. His advanced camera will be an equipped with advanced image processing software.

Employing advanced image-processing technology, the car’s ProPILOT system understands road and traffic situations and executes precise steering enabling the vehicle to perform naturally.

Nissan’s Executive Vice President Hideyuki Sakamoto has been quick to point out the limitations of the technology, explaining that “these functions are meant to support drivers, and are not meant as self-driving capabilities”. Although the Serena is a Japan-only model, Nissan also plans to introduce ProPilot on the 2017 Qashqai in Europe.

In 2018, Nissan will launch a self-driving vehicle able to make automatic lane changes on expressways.

Likely in light of recent events faced by Tesla around its own Autopilot self-driving tech, Nissan is very clearly laying out what ProPILOT is – and what it isn’t. If ProPilot sounds a bit like an upgraded cruise control, it is, but ProPilot is a whole lot smarter. Deputy General Manager Atsushi Iwaki, a member of ProPilot’s development team. See, we have heard it from ProPilot’s mouth, so to speak. “Living that reality at a widespread and affordable level is still years away”.

As global carmakers race to develop self-driving cars, the safety of current automated systems was called into question by USA investigators saying a driver died in a crash while the autopilot of his Tesla Model S was engaged. The Tesla Model X owner would only identify himself using the name Pang. Becoming a leader in self-driving cars, as well as electric vehicles, is a key pillar of CEO Carlos Ghosn’s strategy to rebrand the company as a technological innovator.

Meanwhile, BMW and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) have come to blows over “misleading” claims that its high-beam headlight technology prevented oncoming drivers from being dazzled.