Self-driving cars are becoming increasingly common, with Google-powered autonomous vehicles a popular sight on certain California highways.
Other self-driving cars and related technology originate from industry heavyweights such as Nissan and GM’s Cadillac brand. As more and more self-driving cars hit the roads, states around the country, including California and Nevada, are slowly beginning to issue licenses for the vehicles to operate in public spaces.
Recently, Nissan showcased a new self-driving car at CEATEC 2012 that features integrated LTE connectivity. According to the folks at Engadget, the vehicle is dubbed the NSC-2015 and was demonstrated as part of the Smart Mobility Zero exhibit at the show.
Unsurprisingly, Nissan used its flagship Leaf EV as the basis for the self-driving car. During the show, the vehicle drove in circles inside a predefined area, guided by a series of sensors, cameras and servos to control the steering wheel, throttle and brakes.
The floor of the exhibit space included painted road markings to help keep vehicle driving in the right direction. Nissan’s spin on itself-driving technology, since the tech isn’t legal all around the country, is a system allows the car to park itself. It might not be legal in many states for a car to drive itself without someone behind the wheel, but the car could still park itself in a private lot.
The autonomous technology also allows the owner to monitor his or her car using a smartphone via the vehicle’s integrated LTE connectivity – a feature that also warns owners if someone is tampering with their car. Indeed, drivers can remotely pan a 360° view with multiple cameras, while setting off the alarm to ward off thieves.
Nissan says it could have this technology in production vehicles by 2015, which can also be used to avoid accidents by automatically stopping to avoid pedestrians or other vehicles in close proximity.
