The robot revolution has arrived… and damn, is it cute.
Posted by Kim | Filed under Tabletop RPG
Nissan demonstrated their latest model of Eporo “robot cars” at CEATEC in Chiba City today. These little guys aren’t just adorable – they’re brilliantly designed. The inspiration behind these robot cars comes from the movement patterns and obstacle-avoidance techniques of both bumblebees and schools of fish.
Schools of fish are able to travel in groups and not run into obstacles or each other for a few reasons – lateral-line sense, sight, and communication. The lateral line is a sense organ, found mostly in fish, that detects movement in the surrounding water. Nissan has replicated this using a laser range finder, which allows the Eporo to avoid both obstacles and other Eporo.
Since Eporo contain an artificial lateral-line sense, they can sense where the other Eporo in the “school” are located, and can maintain a safe distance between themselves.
So, what does all this mean? Well, Nissan intends to evolve the Eporo into the future of automobiles. Not only are they developing electric car technology; they’re combining it with collision-avoidance technology as well.
At some point in our lifetimes, we may very well see cars that are not only fully electric and sustainable, but entirely capable of keeping us safe on the road.
You can learn more about Eporo technology here, and watch a full demonstration of the Eporo from CEATEC below.
