MANILA: Nissan has unveiled progress in the realm of autonomous driving technology by showcasing its cutting-edge prototype in action on real roads. 

The self-driving Leaf confidently maneuvered through the streets around the Nissan headquarters in Yokohama, Japan. It demonstrated its ability to detect and predict pedestrian behavior, execute lane changes, and smoothly navigate intersections. 

The prototype autonomous-driving unit was built using the Nissan Leaf electric vehicle (EV) as base. According to Nissan, the vehicle features a slew of devices, including 14 cameras, ten radars, and six Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors. The latter are packaged together to form a roof-mounted array, which the Japanese car brand claims provides an accurate and wide detection of its surroundings. 

 All of the devices work together to allow the modified self-driving Leaf to handle urban environments. The brand claimed that the prototype now has better behavioral prediction, judgment, and control functions than prior self-driving test cars. 

According to the company,  the project's goal is to offer autonomous mobility services for the Japanese market by the fiscal year 2027. Trial runs are scheduled at Minato Mirai, followed by service demonstration tests in 2025. 

During the service demonstration tests, the automotive firm will collect data from customers as it increases the level of autonomous driving of a given self-driving car. Nissan stated that another objective of its autonomous driving development is to create a safe vehicle that doesn’t need the constant monitoring of a human driver. 

To recall, the project was undertaken by the car brand in cooperation with the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The Land of the Rising Sun, after all, is facing transportation service issues in some areas. Nissan further said that local communities in Japan have been contending with driver shortages due to an aging population. As such, self-driving vehicles like the one Nissan is working on might be able to solve the said issue. 

Photos from Nissan

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