Nissan Releases Latest Safety Innovations

ROLLE, Switzerland, October 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today released its latest safety technologies to help reduce fatal and serious injuries caused by accidents involving vehicles, based on the Company's "Safety Shield" concept.

By improving signal processing technology of vehicle-equipped cameras which helps enable the detection of people, other vehicles, road and obstacles around the vehicle, the Acceleration Suppression for Pedal Misapplication and Multi-Sensing System with Rear Camera help drivers to take avoidance behavior before an accident might occur.

In addition, the Predictive Forward Collision Warning System, which uses millimeter-wave radar to detect the deceleration of the second vehicle in front, alerts the driver in advance of a sudden drop in speed of the vehicle two cars ahead.

1. Acceleration Suppression for Pedal Misapplication

In car parks or other confined areas, in order to help mitigate collisions with obstacles such as walls due to the driver's misapplication of the accelerator instead of the brake or pressing on the accelerator too hard, Nissan has developed a function to recognize whether the vehicle is on a road or in a car park by using image signal data acquired by the Around View Monitor's four unit cameras.

When the driver presses the accelerator pedal to the floor, this function allows the vehicle to accelerate if it is on a road, and does not in a parking space.

This system is also designed to detect obstacles using sonar, and automatically applies the brake to help avoid or mitigate collisions when the vehicle is in danger of touching or colliding with nearby obstacles.

Using features of Around View Monitor and the sonar system, this technology helps reduce the risk of accidents occurring through misapplication of the accelerator and brake brought about by driver operational mistakes. Nissan aims to commercialize this technology within two years.

2. Multi-Sensing System with Rear Camera

Using the Around View Monitor image processing technology, Nissan developed Multi-Sensing System with Rear Camera, which detects people, other vehicles and road conditions in the rear and sides of the vehicle, to alert drivers of possible collision risks. This system has the following three functions and will be installed in new models from 2012, followed by global distribution.

- Blind Spot Warning

If the driver operates the turn signal while not being aware of other vehicles traveling in the driver's blind spot, a buzzer is sounded simultaneously with an indication lamp flashing on the front pillar to warn the driver of the vehicle.

- Lane Departure Warning

The rear camera works to detect the white lines on the road. If the driver does not use the turn signal and starts to drift from their current lane unintentionally, a buzzer is sounded and a signal on the display warns the driver that the car is drifting into another lane.

- Moving Object Detection

When the vehicle is placed in reverse, the rear camera's image processing function works to detect moving objects for example pedestrians around the vehicle. On detection of a moving object, the driver is warned with a buzzer and display signals.

Nissan plans to apply this function to Around View Monitor in the Elgrand, where minor changes are planned for this November.

3. Predictive Forward Collision Warning System

To help prevent pileup accidents resulting from the deceleration of vehicles in front and out of view, a sensor installed in the front of the vehicle analyzes the relative velocity and the vehicular gap existing between the two vehicles in front. When the system determines the need to decelerate, it warns the driver in advance with a buzzer, signal on display, and also by tightening the seat belt.

For Further information click on links below:

http://www.nissan-newsroom.com/EN/CRAFTSMANSHIP/TECHNOLOGIES/2011/111005-01.html

http://www.newsroom.nissan-europe.com/EU/en-gb//Search/Results.aspx?