Futuristic car makes reversing obsolete
Mon Oct 8, 2007 10:20am EDT
TOKYO (Reuters) - For all those drivers that hate parallel parking and
anything else that requires the reverse gear, Nissan could one day have the car
for you.
The leading Japanese carmaker recently unveiled the Pivo 2, a battery-powered
concept car with a fully rotating cabin that makes going backwards obsolete,
since the driver can turn to face the direction they need to go.
Its wheels also turn 90 degrees, making parking easier.
"With this easy-to-handle car, you can feel comfortable while driving," said
Masahiko Tabe, senior manager of the advanced vehicle development group at
Nissan Motors.
"You can go everywhere without worrying about your driving skills." The car
is as yet not for commercial sale.
The futuristic, three-seat car also comes with a robotic device that Nissan
said monitors the driver's expression using censors and tailors its conversation
accordingly.
The device, able to converse in English and Japanese, can help an angry
driver overcome road rage or wake you up if you're prone to dozing behind the
wheel, the car makers said.
"Are you sleeping? There's a cafe 500m ahead," the device said during a
demonstration of the car last week. The Pivo 2 will be showcased at the Tokyo
Motor Show later this month.
Original article: Reuters
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