Bone-scanning cars from Nissan?

Nissan is working on bone-scanning technology that could make seatbelts and airbags safer and camera systems that give drivers a bird’s-eye view of their car.

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Nissan is working on bone-scanning technology that could make seatbelts and airbags safer and camera systems that give drivers a bird’s-eye view of their car.

The manufacturer has teamed up with Cranfield University and Loughborough University to develop a system that takes an ultrasound scan of the driver’s and passenger’s fingers. By estimating bone strength and density, the system can automatically adjust how the airbags fire and the restraining force to be exerted by the seatbelts to best protect occupants.

Roger Hardy, of Cranfield’s Impact Centre, said: ‘It would need to be used each time the car’s ignition was switched on. The system could be built into dashboard consoles, the driver’s door or even, when sufficiently miniaturised, the gearlever.’

In a separate development, Nissan is aiming to eliminate blind spots by displaying a bird’s-eye view of the car and its surroundings on a dashboard monitor. By using cameras mounted to the front, side and rear of the vehicle, the system could create a top-down image of the car and objects around it – ideal for those who have trouble parking.

Neither system has been confirmed for production just yet, but Nissan insiders said they are most likely to appear on top-of-the-range models first. This may include cars from its luxury arm Infiniti, which is likely to arrive in the UK after 2008 to rival premium brands such as Lexus.

Already successful in the US and Japan, Infiniti’s roll-out to the UK depends heavily on a new six-cylinder diesel engine currently under development by sister company Renault.