Nissan Introduces Navigation-Linked Cruise Control

Nissan has been on an innovation streak for the past year or so, and it's

continuing with another groundbreaking technology. One of its more recent technologies helped a vehicle's paint reduce visible scratches, in the form of a "self-healing" paint. Another made an attempt to stop drinking and driving via alcohol-detecting sensors. Progress has even been made on parking and low-speed maneuverability in the form of the Around View camera. Nissan eventually wants its cars to "talk" to each other, communicating information about road conditions. However, its latest technology is one that will be available to its home market Japanese buyers shortly, and has to do with making driving safer.

Surely, by now you've heard of radar-based cruise control, a system which sends out radar waves in order to gauge the distance from a vehicle ahead, and then slow your vehicle down in order to maintain a safe braking zone should you

find yourself approaching at a faster rate of speed. Nissan is now offering this system on their flagship Fuga (our Infiniti M) in Japan, and it's even capable of stopping the car entirely. But wait, there's more. The system also features a force-feedback pedal, so should the driver be accelerating or holding a constant speed while headed towards a slower moving vehicle, the gas pedal will push up against the driver's foot as a reminder to let up.

From there on in, the system functions like a collision mitigation system in that a visual signal (flashing light) and an audible tone are played in order to alert the driver to the situation.

The cruise control system's next innovation interlinks it with data from the navigation system. Using information

sourced from the digitized map, the car's cruise control can change speed according to whether or not there are any curves or turns in the road. When the car approaches a curve, the brakes are applied, and once the car has rounded the corner, the car automatically accelerates. The route and destination doesn't necessarily need to be input into the navigation system for these functions to be active. The system will allow people to use cruise control in more situations, such as on surface streets or out in the countryside. Since all the driver must do is turn, he or she can focus more on steering and enjoy the drive.

This is the first time these systems have been linked together, and they will be available on Japanese-market Nissan products by the end of the year. From 2009 and on, Nissan has committed to putting out 15 new technologies per year of all different types. It will be intriguing to see what they'll come up with next.