- CEATEC 2013 will be the first public demonstration of Nissan's revolutionary Autonomous Drive technology in Japan
YOKOHAMA, Japan (September 26, 2013) – Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. will showcase its breakthrough Autonomous Drive technology at CEATEC JAPAN 2013. It will be the first time that Nissan's new Autonomous Drive (AD) system will be demonstrated to the general public.
The annual CEATEC exhibition, Japan's largest IT and electronics exhibition, will be held at the Makuhari Messe convention center outside Tokyo from October 1-5, 2013. The demonstration of Nissan's AD system fits in with CEATEC JAPAN 2013's main theme: “Smart Innovation—Technology for Future Society and Lifestyles."
The Autonomous Drive system was revealed for the first time globally to journalists and investors at “Nissan 360," the company's brand and product event for global media and stakeholders held last month in Irvine, California.
“Nissan Motor Company's willingness to question conventional thinking and to drive progress – is what sets us apart," said CEO Carlos Ghosn in August. “In 2007 I pledged that – by 2010 – Nissan would mass market a zero-emission vehicle. Today, the Nissan LEAF is the best-selling electric vehicle in history. Now I am committing to be ready to introduce a new ground-breaking technology, Autonomous Drive, by 2020, and we are on track to realize it."
Exhibits
The Nissan exhibit area at CEATEC JAPAN 2013 will feature a special driving course complete with virtual representation of roads typically found in Japan's cities. Also, a live Autonomous Drive demonstration that focuses on artificial intelligence (AI) will be showcased.
With more than 90 percent of all traffic accidents caused by human error, Nissan's Autonomous Drive has been developed to help realize an “accident-free society" by eliminating human error during driving. Autonomous Drive can be particularly effective on city streets, where the chances of being involved in an accident are 10 times higher than on highways. With Autonomous Drive, not only would the number of accidents decrease, it would also allow drivers who have trouble navigating through narrow lanes and intersections a safe and sure way to reach their destinations. The technology could also greatly benefit elderly people and those with disabilities who otherwise could not drive by themselves.
Live Demonstration of the Autonomous Drive Technology
At Nissan 360 in California the company's engineers demonstrated two vehicles – one equipped with systems for highway driving, the other for city streets – as they work towards combining the technologies into a commercially-viable Autonomous Drive car by 2020.
A Nissan LEAF, equipped with Autonomous Drive technology developed for city streets, will be used in the live driving demonstration at CEATEC due to limited space in the exhibition hall. The car has five laser scanners and five cameras that monitor every angle surrounding it—a full 360 degrees. When approaching another vehicle, the artificial intelligence predicts the other vehicle's movements and selects the most appropriate driving action in response. The AD driving demonstration will show how the artificial intelligence embedded in Autonomous Drive predicts another vehicle's movement by having a driver operate another car alongside the Nissan LEAF that is equipped with Autonomous Drive simulate various potentially-risky situations, such as intersections without traffic lights or overtaking a parked car.
Lectures/Speaking Engagements
Nissan executives will participate in panel discussions at CEATEC JAPAN 2013, the ITS World Congress and Tokyo Motor Show as part of a series of three symposiums under the banner of “IT & Electronic Technology to Shape the Future of Driving Support Systems."
Time & Date: Wednesday, October 2, 2013 14:00-17:20
Place: Convention Hall A, 2nd Floor, International Conference Hall, Makuhari Messe
Session 1 (14:00-14:20): “New Paradigm for Mobility Services"
Session 2 (14:20-15:20): “The ‘Thinking Car' and the Future of Driving"
Nissan Executive Vice President Mitsuhiko Yamashita will be joined by journalist Taro Kimura and Google's Product Manager Anthony Levendawski to discuss Autonomous Drive—its technology, potential business applications and possible impact on the future of driving.
Session 3 (15:20-16:00): How Insect Power Holds the Key to Vehicle Technology of the Next Generation. A discussion on how an insect's brain, sensory system and movement works in sync.
Session 4 (16:05-17:30)
Panel discussion: “How to Realize a Safer Vehicle Society"
Nissan's Corporate Vice President Kunio Nakaguro will have discuss a variety of topics, including the roadmap to the practical application of Autonomous Drive, with subject experts from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the University of Tokyo and NEC.
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