Not so very long ago, the idea of a smart car, capable of driving itself, belonged to the realm of science-fiction. Now, however, some car manufacturers claim that this technology will become reality within a few years.

Of these manufacturers, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, and Volvo appear to have a head start. However, Nissan is particularly newsworthy, as this company has set itself the goal of offering driving aid technology by 2020.

Over the next few years, Nissan will carry out trials in Japan. To do this, a test track, specifically designed for autonomous cars, has been built for the Japanese manufacturer. Nissan has also been given approval from Japanese authorities for a special new Leaf. This car, equipped with artificial intelligence, will serve as a guinea pig for the development of the so-called “autonomous drive” technology. Nissan plans on applying this same procedure to other models at a later date.

With the assistance of researchers at universities such as Stanford, MIT, and Oxford, Nissan engineers plan to use the “around-view” monitor device, in combination with lasers and various artificial intelligence systems, to safely manoeuver the vehicle.

According to Nissan’s ambitions, this futuristic autonomous car will be able to keep itself in line with other vehicles driving in the same direction and change lanes to exit a highway or branch off on to another road. Likewise, the autonomous car will be able to avoid or overtake other vehicles that have stopped or are traveling too slowly. The autonomous car will also slow itself down when approaching a traffic jam or a red light in order to come to a full stop.