Nissan working on smart watch that monitors both car and driver

Nissan is working on a smart watch that will monitor both its Nismo cars and their drivers.

The watch, which will provide real-time biometric data like a driver's heart rate, will be designed specifically for drivers of Nissan's Nismo line of mostly sport cars. It will be on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show from Tuesday and is described as Nissan's "first step into wearable technology."

The company did not reveal the date for the commercial availability of a product or its pricing, describing it as a concept watch. It said, however, that the watch will be available in three colors -- black, white and black and red. The user interface can be controlled by two buttons and the watch is secured onto the driver's wrist through a snap-fit mechanism, Nissan said.

Drivers can use the watch to monitor the efficiency of their vehicle with average speed and fuel consumption readings, access vehicle telematics and performance data while on track, capture biometric data through a heart rate monitor, connect to the car using a smartphone app via Bluetooth Low Energy standard and receive tailored car messages from Nissan.

The car company plans to add ECG (electrocardiogram) capabilities to measure the intervals of the R-R rhythm of the heart and identify driver fatigue, EEG (electroencephalogram) Brainwave to monitor the drivers' levels of concentration and emotions, and measurement of skin temperature for record of core body temperature and hydration levels.

The Nismo Watch will also track and rate the user's "social performance" across Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram using Nissan's proprietary Social Speed software, the company said.

The watch uses a lithium battery which can be charged by micro-USB, with a battery life of over seven days under normal usage conditions.

A number of companies, including Apple, are believed to be targeting the market for wearable computing. Samsung Electronics launched last week at the IFA electronics show in Berlin the Galaxy Gear, a watch that will allow users to see details of some messages received by the phone, answer and place calls, run a number of apps written for the device and take pictures with an internal camera. The device is paired with Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 smartphone and is scheduled to be available in the U.S. in October, Samsung said.

John Ribeiro covers outsourcing and general technology breaking news from India for The IDG News Service. Follow John on Twitter at @Johnribeiro. John's e-mail address is john_ribeiro@idg.com

John Ribeiro covers outsourcing and general technology breaking news from India for The IDG News Service.
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Nissan plans to offer affordable self-driving cars by 2020

Nissan announced today that it expects to begin selling multiple models of self-driving cars by 2020.

Self-driving cars, also known as autonomous drive vehicles, use cameras and sensors to detect roadway lanes and objects around them in order to guide themselves without human intervention.

Among others, GM plans to introduce a semi-automated Cadillac driving system in 2015. Google was among the first tech companies to announce plans to produce a self-driving car for “ordinary people” in less than five years.

Nissan said it’s already building an autonomous-drive proving ground in Japan. Its goal is availability across the model range within two vehicle generations.

Nissan is currently working with top universities, including MIT, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, Oxford and The University of Tokyo, to develop its self-drive technology.

“Nissan’s autonomous driving will be achieved at realistic prices for consumers. The goal is availability across the model range within two vehicle generations,” Nissan said in a statement.

According to one new report by Navigant Research, by 2035, more than 95 million self-driving cars will be sold worldwide every year. By that year, autonomous cars will represent 75% of all light-duty vehicle sales, according to Navigant.

“In 2007 I pledged that - by 2010 - Nissan would mass market a zero-emission vehicle. Today, the Nissan LEAF is the best-selling electric vehicle in history,” said CEO Carlos Ghosn. “Now, I am committing to be ready to introduce a new ground-breaking technology, Autonomous Drive, by 2020, and we are on track to realize it.”

Nissan plans to demonstrate autonomous driving technologies later this year using an all-electric LEAF.

Nissan said it plans to demonstrate its autonomous drive technology for the first time at Nissan 360, an invitation-only test drive event being held later this year at the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station as well as on the streets of Orange County, Calif.

Among the technologies the company plans to demo are laser scanners, “Around View Monitor” cameras, and advanced artificial intelligence and actuators. The technologies have been installed in Nissan LEAFs to enable them to negotiate what Nissan called “real-world driving scenarios.”

Nissan’s autonomous driving technology is an extension of its Safety Shield, which monitors a 360-degree view around a vehicle for risks, offers warnings to the driver and takes action, if necessary.

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