Under shadowy bridges, giving way to passers-by, braking overly heavily on occasion – a clumsily human touch – the Ariya progresses naturally without incident. Is this unlocking Level 4 autonomy – hands-off, eyes-off, for long periods in complicated urban areas – I ask Tetsuya Iijima?
“Level is not a technical word,” he counters. “This is technically equal to or better than the human brain. Level 2, 3 or 4 is a regulatory term.” But 20 minutes into the demonstration, I can clearly see the Ariya can assess its environment and drive – without intervention – to human norms. So I ask again.
“It’s Level 4 capable, but Level 2!” he responds. And that is a fundamental truth: until regulators in different regions have found a way to verify autonomous cars are safe, self-driving technology can’t proliferate beyond today’s Level 2-plus ‘eyes on, hands off’ capability.
Audi knows: it plumbed Level 3 ‘eyes off, hands off’ highway driving into the 2017 A8 limousine and accepted liability for any accidents – but gave up trying to get the system homologated. “Society is not ready to accept Level 4 autonomy, and nor are regulators,” states Iijima-san.
As we close in on our destination, I spot a silver Mazda 2 drifting towards us on a collision course, touching the solid central white line. The Ariya doesn’t swerve to this fleeting threat; it doesn’t react at all. Its response was either very confident, or oblivious. Considering its smooth, seamless and spotless performance so far, I give Pro Pilot 3.0 the benefit of the doubt that it was poised to react.
Iijima-san won’t be drawn on how much the prototype costs. And affordability will be one of the many hurdles facing Nissan’s vision of making AI autonomous driving part of everyday life. Is it a hugely expensive option, tested initially by a small sample of fleet customers or the very rich? Are there limits – light levels, weather conditions, geofence areas – to when and where it can be used? And who is liable for the inevitable accidents? Nissan’s robotaxi pilot, launching in Tokyo late this year, will seek to provide more learnings and some answers.
Over 15km (9 miles), the Pro Pilot Ariya drives like a competent, considerate human. It makes navigating Tokyo look simple: something I spectacularly failed at during my test drives. And, of course, Iijima-san didn’t touch the steering, throttle or brakes once during the demonstration. His faith is total, he pays the car minimal attention.
So, I ask, is Pro Pilot 3.0 a better driver than he is? “This is learned from [millions] of safe driving episodes for precise manoeuvre training,” he responds. “My singular experience is compressed inside my brain. Even if I’m old, its knowledge is bigger, deeper, and it always concentrates on a 360˚driving view.
“So yes – it is.”
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