Nissan Leaf driven by iPad and low-cost navigation systems

The folks at the Oxford University are hard at work, testing a driverless Nissan Leaf Electric Car. This seems much like what people tried back in the 90s, but hey, they didn’t have no iPad then. Nor did they fathom what an awesome thing auto-navigation could be. The car uses low-cost navigation that studies the surroundings with the help of cameras and lasers that form a part of the body. The iPad is mounted on the dashboard, and in all likeliness accepts input as well. The iPad on the dashboard prompts to a message, offering the driver with the option of taking over a portion of the route. A robot system effectively takes over the navigation while the driver can catch a quick nap.

The system is currently being tested at the Begbroke Science Park and is being further developed to understand complex traffic flows. The prototype could cost around $7,625. The developers are aiming at a sub $150 model that could roll forth once the project is completed.