It may be filled with all sorts of cool gadgets and because of its shape it can do a whole lot of interesting things, but we’re not sure if we want to be seen on the road driving this pumpkin.
Nissan has taken the electric car to the next level with its introduction of the Pivo 2. Some of its strengths: the ball-shaped vehicle can squeeze into tight spots without backing up because it can swivel a full 360 degrees while the wheels turn 90 degrees. Since the top part of the vehicle can pivot 90 degrees, the driver can turn to face any direction he wishes. (Oh, by the way, the fact that it does pivot gives it its name — Pivo 2. Get it?)
Drive by wire commands steering and braking. The concept does not have an axle. Instead, it has four separate electric motors which turn the wheels further than conventional cars.
Nissan designers also included a robot that detects the emotions of the driver. It has the ability to analyze the facial expression of the driver by its digital camera eyes as well as use a microphone picks up their voice. Once it senses mood, it speaks to the driver in a number of preprogrammed phrases to deal with the emotion.
The robot also provides navigation.
The car can be recharged by plugging a cable into a regular wall socket and it has a range of 78 miles on a single charge.
See more details can be found at Scifi Channel, AFP, and BusinessWeek. Our take? The Pivo 2 is referred to as "cute." We’re not sure if we want our mode of transportation to be "cute" (unless it’s a Mazdaspeed3).
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