Nissan, NASA to develop autonomous cars

Nissan Motor Company, through its North American-based organisation, and NASA have announced the formation of a five-year research and development partnership to advance autonomous vehicle systems and prepare for commercial application of the technology. Researchers from Nissan's US Silicon Valley research centre and NASA's Ames research centre will focus on autonomous drive systems, human-machine interface solutions, network-enabled applications, and software analysis and verification, all involving sop
January 12, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
838 Nissan Motor Company, through its North American-based organisation, and NASA have announced the formation of a five-year research and development partnership to advance autonomous vehicle systems and prepare for commercial application of the technology.

Researchers from Nissan's US Silicon Valley research centre and NASA's Ames research centre will focus on autonomous drive systems, human-machine interface solutions, network-enabled applications, and software analysis and verification, all involving sophisticated hardware and software used in road and space applications.

Researchers from the two organisations will test a fleet of zero-emission autonomous vehicles at Ames to demonstrate proof-of-concept remote operation of autonomous vehicles for the transport of materials, goods, payloads and people. For NASA, these tests parallel the way it operates planetary rovers from a mission control centre. The first vehicle of that fleet should be testing at the facility by the end of 2015.

"The work of NASA and Nissan, with one directed to space and the other directed to earth, is connected by similar challenges," said Carlos Ghosn, president and CEO of Nissan. "The partnership will accelerate Nissan's development of safe, secure and reliable autonomous drive technology that we will progressively introduce to consumers beginning in 2016 up to 2020."

Nissan has set 2020 as the timeframe for the introduction of autonomous drive vehicles that have the ability to navigate in nearly all situations, including the most complex situation, city driving.

"All of our potential topics of research collaboration with Nissan are areas in which Ames has strongly contributed to major NASA programs," said director of Ames research centre, S. Pete Worden. "Ames developed Mars rover planning software, robots onboard the international space station and next generation air traffic management systems to name a few. We look forward to applying knowledge developed during this partnership toward future space and aeronautics endeavours."

"This partnership brings together the best and brightest of NASA and Nissan and validates our investments in Silicon Valley," said Ghosn.
Location Based Systems

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • US Congress debates autonomous vehicles
    November 20, 2013
    Emerging technologies have the potential to significantly reduce vehicle crashes and associated fatalities, according to Kirk Steudle, director of the Michigan Department of Transportation, testifying at the US House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. Speaking on behalf of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Steudle said, "Nothing is more exciting than the potential safety benefits of this emerging technology," said Steud
    Read More
  • Reducing detection costs benefits intersection management
    February 3, 2012
    The continuing, favourable performance-versus-cost situation concerning detection and monitoring technologies is driving the proliferation of intelligence across road networks. The effective and safe management of intersections is a focus for network operators and systems manufacturers alike. The most complicated of road environments, and statistically among the least safe, intersections enjoy particular emphasis in longer-term work on cooperative infrastructure solutions. However there are current developm
    Read More
  • Driver Ahead conference: more training needed on driverless cars
    October 12, 2017
    Driverless cars can create confusion unless training meets the fast pace of change and helps drivers cope with a whole new set of demands, according to a conclusion reached by industry experts at London’s ‘Driver Ahead’ conference in London. The IAM RoadSmart/ RAC Foundation/ Pirelli event consisted of over 100 industry experts who set out to map a safe route for driverless cars. Guest speaker Victoria Coren-Mitchell opened the conference by introducing the “death by code” concept
    Read More
  • Research ranks Bosch, Harman, and Continental as leading Tier One connected car vendors
    September 8, 2016
    ABI Research ranks Bosch as the leader among 20 Tier One connected car suppliers considered in its latest competitive analysis. Harman and Continental received second and third place, respectively. Bosch's explosive sales growth last year, significant capital expenditures to fund future development, cadre of strategic partnerships, and commitment to advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) solutions place it in a strong position to pioneer the continuing evolution of the automotive industry.
    Read More

Highlighted Content