Nissan's new gas pedal has a mind of its own
Not too many years ago, Audi got into a big mess with cars that were accused of having accelerator pedals with minds of their own. Nissan now says it has developed a system that gives its cars' gas pedals the ability to think, and it sounds pretty smart.
In conjunction with a frontal radar system and onboard computer, the car can tell when it's getting too close to a vehicle or object in front of it and lifts the gas pedal in response, which is supposed to alert the driver to impending danger. If the driver agrees and lifts his foot off the pedal, the system applies the brakes and brings the car to a complete stop. If the driver continues to push the pedal down, the system won't interfere and car plus driver will continue on to meet their fate together.
The system will be available this year in Japan, and reportedly next year on U.S. spec cars. The smart pedal system is part of a big technology/safety push within Nissan that also includes its anti-drunk driving system and pedestrian-friendly hood we've shown you before.
[Source: Detroit News]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Rod 7:17PM (8/07/2007)
If you didn't crack 1500, please shut up.
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Andrew 7:50PM (8/07/2007)
which SAT are we talking about? after all, they *did* just make it a 2400 pt scale now, so a 1420 wouldn't be that impressive ;)
on a serious note, i do not think the car should do any particular *driving* for the human. even for blind spot warning devices - just get rounded mirrors like european cars have. the euro mirriors on my passat eliminate the blind spot entirely, except for motorcycles which are small enough to slip through. why spend millions developing this tech when an extra piece of glass (and decent driving habits) will do the same thing?
Eric 10:24PM (8/07/2007)
I was thinking the same thing... 1400 out of 2400?
Not that the score is easy to figure out... took me as long to decode the information sheet as it did to take the bloody exam.
Adam 2:08AM (8/08/2007)
For a gas pedal 1420 is pretty impressive. The gas pedal in my sentra couldn't even spell it's own name on the test
Dan 7:17PM (8/07/2007)
this reminds me of playing with my cruise control..such as setting the cruise control to 80, turning it off, slowing down to 60, and then turning the cruise control back on.. then the gas pedal has a mind of its own
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YouFaceTheTick 7:17PM (8/07/2007)
Horrible idea. The car has no business making any suggestions or decisions like this. Much like the lane warning devices, this is worthless and intrusive.
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Tyler Carey 7:25PM (8/07/2007)
Could a system really intrude on the situation if the situation was not given any attention?
paul34 7:34PM (8/07/2007)
Well, you have to look at this way. If idiots are going to drive, might as well help them out as much as possible.
Ben H. 9:27AM (8/08/2007)
I must agree. A very bad idea.
Instead of getting to the root causes of poor driving, implement a catch-all at the end of the stick using technology? I bet this will create more driver confusion (especially initially) and create more accidents than it prevents.
Bryan 9:12PM (8/07/2007)
Sounds like a bad idea to me.
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Brian Reid 9:15PM (8/07/2007)
As if I needed another reason to stay out of the Nissan showroom. You’d think a ho-hum assortment of cars and trucks would be enough, but now they’re unveiling new electronic nannies. Brilliant!
So now we’re getting ‘smart gas pedals’, an ‘anti-drunk driving system’ and a ‘pedestrian-friendly hood’. What’s next, you ask? May I suggest:
- Brick wall-friendly bumpers and fenders
- Rear-view mirrors that automatically turn away during mascara application.
- A stereo that turns up the volume while you’re trying to talk on a cell phone.
- A robotic arm that swats the burger out of your hand while you’re trying to merge into traffic
- A new mother-in-law feature that kicks in on the nav system once you’re 10 MPH over the speed limit.
- Cupholders that lob your Big Gulp out the window when you’re not looking.
And as Paul34 suggested, if the idiots are going to drive…let them buy Nissans. Then at least they’ll be easy to spot!
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Mikel 7:57AM (8/08/2007)
The REAL poor drivers already have a brand that they stick to, HONDA. I use the H badge as a warning symbol. It stands for "I don't have a clue what I should be doing but I want to be safe, doing it all wrong, so I bought a Honda". Take a look around, it's amazing what you see when your eyes are open. Please don't encourage the id10t's to move over to Nissan... They will just confuse the rest of us!
1337 9:50AM (8/08/2007)
Brian,
Some additional...er...quirks of many Nissan cars:
-Interiors look like they were on sale at K-mart
-Torque steer
-Obnoxiously rough suspension (and not particularly good handling)
-No steering feel
-Only start when they're in the mood to
Egon 9:18PM (8/07/2007)
As if I needed another reason to stay out of the Nissan showroom. You’d think a ho-hum assortment of cars and trucks would be enough, but now they’re unveiling new electronic nannies. Brilliant!
So now we’re getting ‘smart gas pedals’, an ‘anti-drunk driving system’ and a ‘pedestrian-friendly hood’. What’s next, you ask? May I suggest:
- Brick wall-friendly bumpers and fenders
- Rear-view mirrors that automatically turn away during mascara application.
- A stereo that turns up the volume while you’re trying to talk on a cell phone.
- A robotic arm that swats the burger out of your hand while you’re trying to merge into traffic
- A new mother-in-law feature that kicks in on the nav system once you’re 10 MPH over the speed limit.
- Cupholders that lob your Big Gulp out the window when you’re not looking.
And as Paul34 suggested, if the idiots are going to drive…let them buy Nissans. Then at least they’ll be easy to spot!
Reply
Don 9:23PM (8/07/2007)
Too bad the Audi claims were completely unfounded.
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James 9:38PM (8/07/2007)
Too bad? Audi should have sued CBS --as well as the 60 Minutes producers and reporters.
The media should never be allowed report on anything technical that requires an IQ greater than room temperature to understand.
Don 12:37PM (8/08/2007)
That's what I meant James...it's too bad Audi had to live with the stigma all those years.
Rocket Punch 10:06PM (8/07/2007)
Yeah, The only way to protect the humans with breaking the "3 laws" is to control them....I can see it now V.I.K.I
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jg3 10:34PM (8/07/2007)
They should make a deal with Freightliner to put them on their trucks. I spent the day on I-91 with semis just 10-15 feet of my rear bumper at 70-80 mph.
Can you say "braking distance"?
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RockStoneSteel 11:14PM (8/07/2007)
This feature is a laugh. If Nissan really cares about safety, the least they could have done was made ABS and stability control standard when they redesigned the car for 2007. That's just lame in light of the competition. Hyundai puts ABS standard on all vehicles except their lowest model of Accent.
That's why I won't even consider buying the prior generation Altima, because they put ABS on so few vehicles.
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