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</p><p>&nbsp; Japanese auto maker - <u><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://carhunt.in/Brand/Nissan">Nissan Motors</a></u>, has presented a fresh technology which allows nearly hands-free highway cruising but not 100% hands-free making Nissan take a step further towards the fully autonomous car. Nissan’s new technology, called "ProPILOT", will be initially implemented in a redesigned Serena family van scheduled to be on sale in Japan in later days of August, the company confirmed. ProPILOT will be launched in the Qashqai crossover in Europe next year. However, the vehicles in the U.S. and China will have to wait a bit longer. Nissan did not forecast any timeline for introduction of those later models.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp; The technology enables single-lane semi-autonomous driving on highways. It basically follows the car ahead, tracks lane markers and judges turns and curves.

With ProPILOT, the accelerator, brakes and steering are controlled based on information obtained through a mono camera equipped with advanced-image processing software. It automatically controls the distance from vehicle ahead while operating in a speed range of 30 to 100 kmph. Plus, it can also apply brakes to bring the vehicle to a full stop and keeps the vehicles stagnant without requiring the driver operating the brake pedal. Driving resumes when the driver slightly touches accelerator pedal.&nbsp;The system keeps a safe distance from the car ahead by analyzing and calculating speed and if needed it can apply brakes to adjust the speed and even stop completely when necessary. It also self-steers the car to keep the vehicle in center of driving lane making it go smoothly around the curves also. But as mentioned earlier it shouldn't be mistaken as complete autonomous car because the system has a torque sensor on the steering column which senses whether a hand is at helm or not. If not, a warning light comes on. If the driver still doesn’t take hold, a warning beeper starts to buzz. If there is no grip for several seconds, the self-driving function disengages. Nissan heavily stressed that automakers must take the initiative in warning drivers about the limitations of self-driving technology and in reminding drivers that they are the final line of defense against crashes. The safety of autonomously driving systems has come under heightened scrutiny following a deadly May crash of a Tesla Model S in the United States.&nbsp;That car was operated in the Autopilot mode, but Tesla has said crash data suggested the driver’s hands were not on the wheel at the time of the accident. It raised some questions about whether drivers were lulled into a false sense of security by the technology.</p><p>&nbsp; Executive Vice President Hideyuki Sakamoto said, "We need to send out much stronger warnings as our technology becomes more advance." Further added, "Improving safety and functionality have to come as a set." ProPILOT is the first step to urban autonomous driving by 2020. Aiming to become a leader in self-driving cars and electric vehicles, is a key pillar of CEO Carlos Ghosn’s strategy for re-branding the company as a technological innovator. The Japanese automaker plans to build upon ProPILOT with a more advanced system due around 2018 that will allow automated driving across multiple lanes. The later more sophisticated technology will be such an autonomous system that will allow cars to navigate city intersections and urban traffic without driver intervention - "intersection autonomy", Nissan promises.</p><p></p>