Nissan has announced that it will introduce in August its ProPilot semi-autonomous highway driving system in Japan.
According to CNET, Nissan's ProPilot system is designed for jam-packed commutes as well as long drives on the highway. In order to prevent collisions and gauge following distance, the semi-autonomous driving system uses a single camera mounted at the top of the windshield.
Unlike Tesla's Autopilot system, Nissan's ProPilot system will only operate in a single lane. However, the semi-autonomous driving system designed by Nissan is able to take control of the throttle, brakes and steering.
ProPilot will also be able follow the car ahead at speeds in the range of 19 mph to 60 mph, whether on curves or straight away. ProPilot will stop the car if traffic comes to a stop.
The semi-autonomous driving system will re-engage via a quick tap of the gas, when traffic starts moving again. In this aspect, ProPilot is similar to the Distronic Plus system designed by Mercedes.
According to The Gospel Herald, Nissan's ProPilot system is able to ensure that the car remains in the lane all the time. This feature is possible due to a monocular 360-degree camera in constant communication with the integrated processing system.
The semi-autonomous driving system is using a processing unit designed and produced by Mobileye. This is the same processing system that is powering BMW's drive-assist feature, Tesla's Autopilot and similar features in select Volvo and GM vehicles.
ProPilot will debut in August on the Nissan Serena van and in the beginning will only be available in Japan. Nissan plans to introduce its semi-autonomous driving system to Europe in 2017, followed by China and the U.S.
In 2018, Nissan plans to expand its ProPilot system to include multi-lane operation. By 2020, Nissan's semi-autonomous driving system will gain additional capabilities that will make it able to handle city driving.
