Nissan Technology Protects Walls

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Nissan showed technology that protects both walls from cars, and drivers from their own stupidity lack of judgment. Sonar devices in the front and rear of the car detect hard obstacles. If the system decides that the driver is about to hit the wall, the computer cuts the gas and applies the brake.

Yesterday, Nissan was confident enough in its system to load journalists into a car, which then was driven into a wall erected in the parking lot of a Yokohama soccer stadium. The computer prevented harm to car, wall and fourth estate. The system also should prevent low speed collisions in garages and during traffic jams.

The system will first be optionally available in the new Elgrand minivan, which will go on sale in Japan on December 13.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • JD-Shifty JD-Shifty on Nov 25, 2012

    Wow. Look at all the "grumpy old man" rants.

    • NMGOM NMGOM on Nov 26, 2012

      JD-Shifty... Guilty. Remember: Jalopnik did a survey among their more traveled readers, and found that America is the 4th worst country on this planet for driving competence. Things like this wall device aren't going to help people wake up and maintain continued awareness, alertness, diligence, and responsibility. I was taught both hands on the wheel, scanning eye patterns out front, and the continual planning of stopping distances (in car lengths!) and escape routes. If that is old-fashioned, then so be it. -------------

  • Chas404 Chas404 on Nov 26, 2012

    Enter male chauvenist comments.... here. This tech would be the savior of all the shiny new small SUVs and Chryco battlewagon minivans I see all scarred up. How on earth these soccer mommies back into things in a tiny Escape or RAV4 etc I will never understand. Why I park my truck on another planet wihen going to the mall.

    • NMGOM NMGOM on Nov 26, 2012

      chas404.. "Why I park my truck on another planet wihen going to the mall." I don't go to malls for that very reason. With my bright new shiny Frontier, I would have to be medicated to do so. And I can't even tell where I would park the Z4 (avatar above) in ANY public environment. (Wasn't there some mayor of a small German town who had oversized parking spaces installed for the women drivers in his area? Instead of drawing the ire of feminists, he got letters thanking him for the realism and convenience. But that's there and this is here. Well, you wanted a male chauvinist comment, so now you have one.) ----------------

  • Lorenzo Heh. The major powers, military or economic, set up these regulators for the smaller countries - the big guys do what they want, and always have. Are the Chinese that unaware?
  • Lorenzo The original 4-Runner, by its very name, promised something different in the future. What happened?
  • Lorenzo At my age, excitement is dangerous. one thing to note: the older models being displayed are more stylish than their current versions, and the old Subaru Forester looks more utilitarian than the current version. I thought the annual model change was dead.
  • Lorenzo Well, it was never an off-roader, much less a military vehicle, so let the people with too much money play make believe.
  • EBFlex The best gift would have been a huge bonfire of all the fak mustangs in inventory and shutting down the factory that makes them.Heck, nobody would even have to risk life and limb starting the fire, just park em close together and wait for the super environmentally friendly EV fire to commence.
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