Nissan announced that they began their first development tests of an autonomous prototype on public roads.

The prototype is based on the Nissan Leaf and will be tested in real traffic conditions, both on the highway and city roads. The prototype Leaf is equipped with all the needed hardware, including a millimeter wave radar, laser scanners, cameras and a special interface module among the rest.

The goal for Nissan is to launch the so-called ‘Piloted Drive 1.0’ by the end of 2016 which will allow for autonomous driving under heavy highway traffic conditions. By 2018 the company wants to release the next step which is a multiple lane piloted drive which can perform lane changes on highways.

The final step in Nissan’s autonomous agenda is to release a new technology by 2020, one that will allow vehicles to successfully drive themselves in city roads, including intersections.The first tests will begin in Japan, with Nissan saying that overseas development drives are also on schedule in the near future.

The company created two innovative components that will help them reach their goal. The first one is a miniature high-spec laser scanner which is currently on a prototype phase. This laser scanner determines the distance between the vehicle and its surroundings through the use of precise three-dimensional measurement, which enables the vehicle to navigate itself through the tightest spaces.

The other component is an 8-way, 360-degree view camera system that helps the autonomous pilot to make accurate routing decisions when driving through intersections and winding roads. Both of them are fitted on Nissan’s autonomous prototype in order to get them ready for production.

“We at Nissan are setting clear goals and preparing for the implementation of piloted drive,” said senior vice president of Nissan, Takao Asami. “The prototype that we’re introducing here today is proof of how close we are towards the realization of this goal. Nissan aspires for a safe and trouble-free motoring future, and we plan on leading the industry in the implementation of piloted drive.”

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