Nissan’s announcement of the next generation ProPilot advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) set to debut in 2027 has stirred up excitement in the automotive industry. This new system, powered by Wayve’s AI Driver software, boasts a cutting-edge technology that enables the vehicle to avoid collisions without the need for driver intervention.
The key highlight of this upcoming system is its ability to navigate complex real-world driving conditions with ease, much like a human driver would. Nissan claims that the artificial intelligence model developed by Wayve has been meticulously trained on a vast amount of real-world data, allowing it to react swiftly and effectively in any given situation.
Despite its advanced capabilities, the next ProPilot system will operate at Level 2 on the SAE’s Levels of Driving Automation chart. This means that human supervision is still required, as the system cannot fully drive the car on its own. However, Nissan touts that the new ADAS will set a “new standard for autonomous driving with advanced collision avoidance capability.”
In a series of demonstration videos released by Nissan two years ago, the prototype equipped with the new ProPilot system showcased impressive performance in avoiding potential collisions. From evading a car backing up to steering clear of a child crossing the road, the system demonstrated its ability to handle unexpected scenarios with precision.
At the core of this advanced system lies the ground truth perception technology, which utilizes a combination of sensors and cameras including a front-mounted Lidar, nine surround cameras, and two long-range radars at the rear. These components work together to constantly monitor the vehicle’s surroundings, predicting the movement of objects or individuals in the environment and taking preemptive measures to avoid them.
The software that powers this groundbreaking technology is developed by Wayve, a UK-based startup that has garnered significant investments from industry giants such as Nvidia, Microsoft, SoftBank Group, and Uber. With a development fleet that utilizes Nvidia’s Orin system-on-chip, Wayve’s software is versatile enough to run on various graphics processors used by different car manufacturers.
Overall, Nissan’s next-generation ProPilot ADAS system represents a significant leap forward in automotive safety and autonomous driving technology. With its advanced collision avoidance capabilities and cutting-edge AI software, this system is poised to revolutionize the driving experience and pave the way for a future of safer and more efficient transportation.