Nissan’s Pivo concept car can drive sideways too
Never drive in reverse again this car has a turret like cabin that revolve 180 degrees so you never have to drive in reverse.lol
TOKYO (AFP) — Japan’s Nissan Motor Co. on Friday unveiled a new version of its egg-shaped Pivo concept car that can drive sideways and has a small robot to assist with navigation or calm down angry drivers.
The Pivo 2 three-seater electric car has wheels that can turn 90 degrees for easy parallel parking.
Like its predecessor, which was unveiled two years ago, the new Pivo has a cabin able to revolve 360 degrees, eliminating the need to reverse.
A round-eyed robot head sitting on the dashboard has cameras that can tell when a driver is getting sleepy.
“You look tired. There’s a coffee shop 500 metres ahead on the left,” it told a driver with drooping eyelids during a recent demonstration.
It can also nod or shake its head, helping to improve the mood of irate or glum drivers.
The car has “by-wire” technologies that use electric signals in the steering and braking.
Unlike the first Pivo, it has no axles. Instead it has four separate electric motors, allowing the wheels to turn further than a conventional car.
The Pivo 2 will be exhibited at the Tokyo Motor Show near the capital from October 27.
The top part of the car — the name is inspired by the word “pivot” — swivels 360 degrees, independent of the wheels, so drivers can turn to face whichever direction they want.
Nissan designers added robotics functions to the Pivo 2, an upgrade of a car shown a couple of years ago, so that a bobbing mechanical head near the steering wheel speaks in a cute electronic voice to provide companionship.
Nissan claims the robot can detect the driver’s mood by analyzing changes in facial expressions picked up by its digital-camera eyes and using a microphone that picks up the driver’s voice to detect volume and speaking speed.
The robotic head says preprogrammed phrases to deal with various emotions, such as, “Relax, don’t worry,” if the driver seems upset.
Mr Softy says- So a robot therapist comes standard ..cool
