Nissan has been featured prominently in recent HybridMile posts due to the proposed 2010 rollout of the Leaf EV and other green vehicle concepts. The automaker is looking beyond the competition for long-term navigation and drive technologies that may seem like science fiction at present. Industry experts saw a glimpse of this technology with the BR23C micro-car in 2008, which featured a drive system based on the behavior of bees. Nissan brought its EPORO robot cars to CEATEC Japan 2009 in Tokyo to demonstrate the virtues of Biomimetic Car technology.
The six EPORO robot cars featured at CEATEC Japan 2009 use bee and fish behavior as templates for safer travel. Nissan designers followed three rules of fish behavior when creating the EPORO. The EPORO robot car works with its fellow cars to change direction without crashing into other cars. Nissan also observed the ability of bees and fish to maintain uniform distances from each other at any speed. The final rule observed by the Nissan EPORO cars was the ability to get closer to a vehicle or object without collisions or strained performance.
Nissan’s EPORO technology is touted as carbon dioxide free as well as accident free based on multiple generations of technology. Each robot car is equipped with an Ultra Wide Band system to simulate sight and a range finder to determine proximity to other objects. Nissan plans to incorporate these elements into future vehicle models as part of its Safety Shield system, which will reduce accidents and increase transportation efficiency. Even as the EPORO robot cars showed Nissan’s focus on safety, green vehicle lovers should recognize the benefits of the Safety Shield concept.
Future vehicles incorporating EPORO technology would decrease traffic jams and time spent idling on busy streets. These changes would increase fuel efficiency by using gas, electricity and other fuel types for travel instead of sitting still. The EPORO technology could reduce accidents drastically, which would not only save lives but keep vehicles on streets instead of the junkyard. Nissan is likely to employ lighter materials for paneling to seating in future models, which would further increase fuel efficiency by decreasing vehicle weight. The EPORO robot cars may look like novelties today but these components will be critical to Nissan’s green vehicle future.
