schneiderism

Nissan is determined to stake a claim on technological advancement and the future of the automobile. To this end, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn recently set the R+D goal of launching 15 new technologies per year beginning in 2009. This effort will go a great distance to instill in Nissan a focus on innovation and the opportunity to very strategically explore and re-investigate how our cars interact with us, and how we interact with our cars.

One technology that Ghosn highlighted, and believes holds significant promise, is that of the in-car robotic assistant/companion, called the “Robotic Agent.” Ghosn feels that there are major opportunities for Nissan with the advancement of robotic technology, and has previewed concept cars, check out the Pivo2, that hint at how this may manifest itself. Despite the potentially enormous distraction to already enormously distracted drivers that this may present, Ghosn believes that a personal robot, able to chat with drivers while highlighting driving conditions, or offer advice based on traffic reports, will eventually make it to a production vehicle.

I know I ask the obvious, but what happened to driving being about simply focusing on the road? As much as I adore my personal robotic assistant I have absolutely no desire to chat with him while driving. He should be balancing my bank account and picking up my dry cleaning during that time.

via windingroad