Unique Perspective From Nissan On Autonomous Vehicles

An anthropologist is someone who studies humankind and people. When you consider that fact, it seems counterintuitive to bring on a scientist from that field to assist in the making of an autonomous vehicle. But that’s exactly what Nissan has done.

“We are working at the heart, the guts of the core technology and bringing insights and the kind of understanding that we have about human practices and human experience right into the fundamental design of the system,” said Melissa Cefkin, principal scientist and design anthropologist at the Nissan Research Center in Silicon Valley.

One way her insight might prove helpful when you look at what happens at a four-way stop intersection. Typically people follow rules and motion for other drivers to make their move. A problem occurs when you take the person out of that situation.

“What happens at a four-way stop – it’s open to a lot of interpretation,” she explained. “Yeah, I’m supposed to stop, (but) once I’ve stopped it doesn’t tell me when to go again, so that’s up to me to figure out.”

Nissan believes that Cefkin and her studies can add valuable information about human driving patterns, behaviors, and interactions in order to ensure that their ProPILOT technology is a “good” driver and a model citizen behind the wheel. Clearly, Nissan has put a lot of foresight and preparedness into this technology.

“People Behind the ProPILOT: What Does an Anthropologist Bring to Autonomous Driving Design?” Nissan Online Newsroom. Nissan, 10 Aug. 2016. Web. 24 Aug. 2016.

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