360-Degree: Eporo Robots at the New Nissan LEAF World Premiere 360

Nissan's engineers have been inspired by the animal kingdom as they develop new technologies that will shape the future of mobility. One of Nissan's longer term R&D goals is to achieve virtually zero fatalities and serious injuries among occupants of its vehicles. Toru Futami, engineering director of advanced technology and research, said that studying the behavior of animals moving in groups helps engineers understand how vehicles can interact with each other for a safer and more efficient driving environment.

The research team created the EPORO (EPisode 0 Robot), utilizing Laser Range Finder (LRF) technology—inspired by the bumblebee's compound eyes that can see more than 300-degrees—along with other advanced technologies. Six EPORO units communicate among themselves to monitor each other's positions to avoid collisions as well as be able to travel side-by-side or in single-file, thus exhibiting the behavior of fish swimming in schools.

[nn_futur]

This is actually kind of smart, using robots to do a Proof of Concept type thing for Self Driving Car tech... Props to you, Nissan!