Nissan to Deliver Driverless Car by 2020

Nissan is planning to get driveless car ready to the masses by 2020. Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of Nissan, said in a news release, “I am committing to be ready to introduce a new groundbreaking technology, autonomous drive, by 2020, and we are on track to realize it."

The company says it's working on autonomous cars with several universities, including MIT and the University of Tokyo. It's also building the first dedicated proving ground for autonomous cars near its headquarters in Japan.

A host of advanced equipment is needed for autonomous operation, including cameras that can see the area surrounding the vehicle; radar sensors that measure distance; laser scanners that detect the shape of objects; a global-positioning sensor that locates the vehicle; advanced computer systems that apply artificial intelligence to that data and make driving decisions; and a variety of actuators that can execute driving maneuvers while compensating for less than ideal conditions.

So, pretty soon we all can chat, drink coffee, or even read our e-mails while our car is driving itself.

Source: Yahoo, CNN, NY Times