TOKYO: Despite Nissan being known as a carmaker, it’s also fast becoming one of Europe’s biggest camera companies too.
Apparently, the Japanese carmaker sells roughly 3,400 cameras per day, with over 1.4 million cameras fitted to the new Qashqai since its launch in 2014.
The company’s camera is also used as part of pioneering safety packages, which help form the building blocks to autonomous driving.
Right now, it has fitted over two million camera units to its range in less than two years – currently snapping at the heels of some of the world’s biggest camera makers.
Increased safety technology means that Nissan’s best-selling models now have up to five cameras per car and that means that the leading Crossover brand sells a whopping 3,400 cameras per day, or more than two per minute.
Nissan’s multi-award winning Crossover range, which includes the Qashqai, Juke and X-Trail, have accounted for over 1.9 million camera sales since the Qashqai went on sale in 2014.
The top-selling versions of each have four wide-angle cameras attached to the front, back, left and right, which are the foundations of the pioneering Around View Monitor (AVM) system.
The AVM system can display a 360-degree, bird’s-eye view to help the driver visually confirm the vehicle’s position relative to white lines and other vehicles, allowing the driver to manoeuvre into parking spots better ease.
The Qashqai and X-Trail also have an additional camera mounted in the windscreen that’s used for a variety of functions, such as traffic sign recognition and automatically dipping the main beam headlamps.
Combined, these features illustrate how Nissan is making the very latest innovations accessible to mass market buyers. Camera-based technology is also a key stepping stone to a fully autonomous car.
The camera systems fitted to the Qashqai and X-Trail provide the capability for self-parking, along with a package of functions, which make up Safety Shield, including Blind Spot Warning (BSW) and Moving Object Detection (MOD) – all of which will be critical in the future development of autonomous drive.
One of the smartest features within Safety Shield is the intelligent self-cleaning rear view camera system, which detects when it is dirty and automatically cleans itself.
The computer processes more than 15 mega pixels per second; mounted just above the rear number plate, the camera uses its in-built water and compressed air apparatus to clear the lens of debris ensuring the 7-inch NissanConnect screen receives a clear picture, providing optimum passenger and pedestrian safety.
And with Crossover sales going from strength to strength, Nissan is predicting demand for its camera units will reach over 10 million in the next five years.
Engineers are already working on the next generation of camera technology, such as that seen in the Nissan Gripz concept Crossover, where two cameras built into the headlamps allow live streaming of the car’s adventures – on and off road – to the internet.
“Unlike rival systems that rely on radar systems to monitor movement around the car, all three elements of Nissan’s Safety Shield work using data from the rear-view AVM camera providing drivers with exceptional visibility and protection,” said Safety Shield senior engineer Christopher Parker.
Keyword: Nissan soon to become top camera seller