Watch how Nissan can make you a better golfer and show you the future of driving. Nissan has developed a super high-tech golf ball that can find the hole no matter how badly its hit, demonstrated in this clip of a four-year-old who putts a lot better than me.
As Automotive News explained it, the ball operates via an overhead camera that detects the position of the ball and cup. When the ball is hit, a monitoring system calculates the correct route and adjusts its trajectory. That, plus an internal electric motor, keeps the ball on course all the way to the cup.
So why is Nissan interested in golf balls all of a sudden? The never-miss ball tech is a way for them to show off its upgraded ProPilot driver assistance system, which debuts in the new Nissan Skyline sedan next month in Japan.
Nissan designed the ProPilot for ramp-to-ramp highway driving, the new system engages with the vehicle's navigation system to help maneuver the car according to a predefined route on designated roadways. For the first time, the system also enables hands-off driving while cruising in a single lane.
To enable the latest functions of the new system, drivers must first set their destination in the navigation system, creating a predefined travel route. Upon activation using a predefined route, the system will assist the driver with traveling on a multi-lane highway until reaching the highway exit on a predefined route — helping to handle passing, lane diversions and lane exiting.
The new ProPILOT also enables hands-off driving while cruising in a given lane. When the vehicle approaches a road divide, or when passing a slower vehicle is possible, the system judges the appropriate timing of branching off or passing based on information from the navigation system and 360-degree sensing. Intuitive audio and visual guidance is given to the driver, who is prompted to put both hands on the steering wheel and confirm the start of these operations with a switch.
Nissan won’t be getting in to the golf business anytime soon, but it’s a clever way to them to show ProPILOT's capabilities.
Question is, how would Nissan’s ProPILOT handle Manila’s driving conditions.
Would you really trust the system to drive hands free, even on our express ways?