Nissan introduces driverless towing system at Oppama Plant. 

Nissan’s Intelligent Vehicle Towing (IVT), a fully automated vehicle towing system, utilizes mapping and communication technologies to link an intelligent and all-electric car to infrastructure.

The IVT system uses a modified Nissan LEAF to autonomously tow trollies carrying finished vehicles between designated loading and unloading points at the plant.

Unlike conventional automatic guided vehicle systems for transporting parts, which often require the installation of rails or extensive use of magnetic tape, this system does not need any special infrastructure to operate. The towing car is equipped with an array of cameras and laser scanners that detect lane markings, curbs and potential obstacles or hazards around the vehicle.

By cross-referencing this information with map data, the towing car calculates its own location, negotiating the route to its destination unaided.

All driverless towing cars are connected to a central traffic control system, which can monitor the location, driving speed, remaining battery and operational status of each vehicle.