An extra pair of eyes: Nissan banking on LIDAR-based driver-assistance technology

Nissan is upping its safety game as the Japanese automaker has recently developed new Light Detection and Ranging, or LIDAR-based driver-assistance technology to help with intersection collision avoidance. 

At an event held at the Nissan facility, LIDAR-based technology showcased its ability to perform certain automatic collision-avoidance maneuvers in the more complex environment of intersections.

“Development of this technology is being carried out under Nissan Ambition 2030, the company’s long-term vision. We are on course to develop collision-avoidance technology utilizing next-generation LIDAR technology by the mid-2020s. Aiming to develop future autonomous driving technologies that customers can use with peace of mind, Nissan is working to fully understand the entire range of accident scenarios by analyzing complex accidents that occur in the real world. Our efforts are aimed to substantially improve accident avoidance,” said Senior Vice President Takao Asami, head of Nissan’s Research and Advanced Engineering Division.

The new driver-assistance technology uses next-generation LIDAR to detect an object’s speed, location, and potential risk of a collision from a lateral direction. If the system detects an impending collision, it will apply the brakes or release them when the potential risk has been avoided. 

Is it the next step for the Nissan Intelligent Mobility suite?

As Nissan is testing the feature, it won’t be ready for the mass market. However, once the development period ends, the Japanese automaker will likely include it in its next-generation Nissan Intelligent Mobility suite. Still, Nissan has yet to give an exact timeline for when it will roll out the new feature. 

It will likely roll the new technology out in markets such as the US and Japan and then to the rest of the world. It will take some time before it reaches the Philippine market.  

What do you think of Nissan’s new LIDAR-based technology? Will it be a big help in avoiding intersection-related accidents?

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