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Nissan displays new prototype multimedia car

Nissan displayed a new prototype vehicle at this year’s 11th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems that was held in Japan in late October that incorporates a multimedia platform capable of showing up to four moving images on an onboard screen at once. The prototype is designed to explore future developments in vehicle safety equipment, convenience features and in-vehicle entertainment.

Up to four moving images can be shown in Nissan's new prototype multimedia car

The car is fitted with one monitor in the front and another in the rear seat area. Depending on the chosen mode, the front seat monitor can display up to four images at one time from seven different cameras mounted at the front, side and rear of the vehicle, giving the driver all-round visibility including blind spots. Simultaneously, the rear seat monitor can show DVD images.

The multimedia capabilities are made possible by the adoption of a high-speed 1394 optical fibre network communications system which allows a data transmission rate of 400 Mbps (mega-bites per second). Whereas conventional analogue cables are only capable of transmitting one image, the optical network communications system allows the transmission of multiple images.

The application of optical fibre also means that the weight of the cables can be reduced to about one-half the weight of a conventional wiring harness.