Home
Newsletter
Events
Blogs
Reports
Graphics
RSS
About Us
Support
Write for Us
Media Info
Advertising Info
Electric cars

Nissan's Electric Commuter Concept Car Pivots 360 Degrees, Independent of Wheels

Monday, March 10, 2008 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer
Tags: electric cars, health news, Natural News


Most Viewed Articles
https://www.naturalnews.com/022807_car_mood_natural_health.html
Delicious
diaspora
Print
Email
Share

(NewsTarget) Nissan Motor Company has developed an electric vehicle that pivots on its wheel axis, can squeeze into tight spots without backing up, and even tells its driver to relax when stressed out. The car was displayed at the Tokyo Motor show in late 2007.

The Pivo 2 is a three-seater commuter vehicle shaped like a ball. The top portion, where the seats are located, is capable of pivoting independently of the wheel frame, allowing the driver to face in any direction. Combined with the fact that the wheels also rotate 90 degrees, the Pivo 2 has an unprecedented degree of maneuverability. Parking in tight spots does not require complex maneuvering, and no reverse gear is necessary.

According to Nissan, the concept car is still too expensive for commercial sale, but the company is working on making it more accessible.

In a new feature from original Pivo concept vehicle, Nissan has added a talking robotic head to the inside of the Pivo 2's cabin, in order to keep drivers company. The robot's computer is programmed to detect a driver's mood based on their facial expressions, voice volume and speaking speed. When it detects a certain mood, the robot's head speaks preprogrammed phrases. If a driver appears stressed out, for example, the head would say "Relax, don't worry." The head is also capable of bobbing up and down.

According to the vehicle's chief designer, Masato Inoue, the goal was to make a car that people could see as more than an inanimate object and actually grow emotionally attached to.

"We want people to feel how cars can be so much fun," said Shiro Nakamura, head designer for Nissan Motors.

The Pivo 2 is fully electric and can travel up to 125 kilometers (78 miles) without being recharged. It can be charged from any normal wall socket, and does not need a special charging station or device.

Receive Our Free Email Newsletter

Get independent news alerts on natural cures, food lab tests, cannabis medicine, science, robotics, drones, privacy and more.


comments powered by Disqus



Natural News Wire (Sponsored Content)

Science.News
Science News & Studies
Medicine.News
Medicine News and Information
Food.News
Food News & Studies
Health.News
Health News & Studies
Herbs.News
Herbs News & Information
Pollution.News
Pollution News & Studies
Cancer.News
Cancer News & Studies
Climate.News
Climate News & Studies
Survival.News
Survival News & Information
Gear.News
Gear News & Information
Glitch.News
News covering technology, stocks, hackers, and more