Now that Nissan’s partially automated Leaf has the proverbial green light to traverse some of Japan’s roadways, we figured we’d place our lives in the hands of various computer systems in order to have one whisk us around a test track at CEATEC. This year’s autonomous Leaf demo was a step up from last year, with our test vehicle trained to not only stay between the lines, but also pause and evaluate the situation when faced with a fellow car.
An on-site representative informed us that off-the-shelf PC components are being used to calculate its motions at the moment, and yes, it’s a Windows-based system underneath (for now, anyway). A suite of prohibitively expensive lasers keep the car from veering outside of its lane, while onboard processing determines whether a stopped or slowed vehicle is passable or not. The company has tested the automated Leaf at speeds as high as 70 kilometers per hour, but we barely broke 15 on the track. Speaking of which, you can catch a bit of footage from our ride just after the break.
Mat Smith and Richard Lai contributed to this report. %Gallery-slideshow99622%
Filed under: Transportation
[CEATEC 2013] More and more companies are about to dive into the world of heads up displays, and for good reason, too. The basic and underlying idea of such heads up displays (HUDs for short) would be the make driving safer as it offers you additional information in front of your eyes without requiring you to shift your gaze away from the road that is right ahead. Needless to say, this would help reduce the number of possible accidents, and gives you the ability to see danger earlier.
[CEATEC 2013] Toyota has their 
[CEATEC 2013] Wireless charging is not just meant for phones and tablets, as cars too, do seem to be catching up on this particular idea. It is just one more step in making the ownership of a fully electric vehicle more convenient. Toyota’s Prius has been quite the frontrunner when it comes to hybrid vehicles, and on the CEATEC showfloor this year, they showcased the Toyota Prius HPV with wireless parking charge capability.
The Toyota i-ROAD is an interesting people mover, and it sure as heck looks a whole lot safer (and cooler) compared to your standard moped or scooter. After all, who would not want to travel in air-conditioned comfort, and yet in a vehicle which is small enough to find some parking space at just about anywhere, in addition to being presumably electric powered (and hence letting you clock up your eco-friendly brownie points)? It will also be part of the 
[CEATEC 2013] One major issue when it comes to living in a congested city, or in a bustling metropolis like Tokyo, would be the issue of parking. Parking can be quite horrendous – either it is a miracle to find a parking spot in the busy parts of the city, or the lanes are so narrow, traffic jams become a part of everyday life. Toyota intends to help commuters move intra-city with their Toyota Ha:mo, or Harmonious Mobility Network for short.
[CEATEC 2013] As cars become “smarter”, do you think that drivers would end up dumber? Perhaps, but only time will tell. Mazda has shared more about their Mazda Connect system on the CEATEC showfloor, where it intends to bring a combination of new hardware, information and software to bring your driving experience to the next level. Not only that, Mazda Connect also offers a wide range of media to the driver and its occupants, being Japan’s first company to deliver in-vehicle internet radio as a standard feature alongside a heads-up cockpit for a safer driving experience.
[CEATEC 2013] Sure, smartphones, phablets and tablets might be all the rage, but this does not mean that there are no other avenues for smart devices. No sir, vehicles have become smarter these days, too, and it does seem as though the ceiling has yet to be reached. Far from it, and at Pioneer’s booth, you have a driver’s cockpit that certainly looks extremely futuristic, although I do not think that the final product should feature so much plastic. Imagine parking this under an intense summer afternoon, or out in the desert. Still, what looks like a cockpit from a starship rather than a car certainly has a story to tell, and tell it we will. Pioneer’s smart car cockpit concept will come with a plethora of sensors as well as works in tandem with your smartphone for a more complete driving experience, which we will talk about later after the jump.
