New Scientific Advisory Council to assist at Nissan Research Center - Silicon Valley

(The above video was produced in July 2013, shortly after the Nissan Research Center – Silicon Valley opened.)

SUNNYVALE, Calif. – Nissan Motor Corporation has appointed a Scientific Advisory Council to review and provide advice on research performed at the company's North American-based Nissan Research Center – Silicon Valley (NRC-SV).

The advisory group will assist in bridging the gap to what is sure to be an exciting period for the company – and the entire automotive industry – and will give guidance on matters of science, technology, research and other similar topics of special interest to the company.

The activities of the Board will include, but not be limited to: providing independent advice and recommendations on matters of science, technology and research; and researching methods regarding autonomous vehicles, connected vehicles, human machine interactions and other matters of special interest to Nissan.

The Scientific Advisory Council will report directly to Maarten Sierhuis, Ph.D., director, Nissan Research Center Silicon Valley, and is comprised of the following individuals:

• Jeff Bradshaw, senior research scientist, Florida Institute of Human and Machine Cognition
• James Euchner, vice president of Global Innovation, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Don Norman, co-founder of the Nielsen Norman Group
• Missy Cummings, associate professor at Duke University and director of the Humans and Autonomy Laboratory
• Terry Fong, director of Intelligent Robotics Group at the NASA Ames Research Center

The following are quotes about the Scientific Advisory Council from its members.

Maarten Sierhuis, Ph.D., director, Nissan Research Center Silicon Valley
"I'm honored to welcome these leaders in user experience, human-robot interaction and human-systems engineering to the Nissan Research Center – Silicon Valley Scientific Advisory Council. I am thrilled to have their invaluable insights and feedback as we embark on the development of autonomous vehicles at NRC-SV."

Council Chair Jeff Bradshaw, senior research scientist for the Florida Institute of Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC)
"I'm excited to work with a stellar group of experts as part of the Nissan Silicon Valley Research Center Scientific Advisory Council. Nissan's commitment to a human-centered rather than a technology-centered design approach puts them in a unique and enviable competitive position. As a result, they will produce well connected, environmentally aware, and highly capable vehicles that excel in their safety, usability and usefulness."

James Euchner,council member and vice president of Global Innovation, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
"It's an interesting time in the auto industry, as vehicles are becoming more intelligent, more connected and increasingly environment-aware. The paramount concern as we move toward autonomous vehicles will be safety, but the potential benefits to consumers in convenience, traffic management and mobility are exciting."

Don Norman, council member and co-founder of the Nielsen Norman Group
"The automobile is now undergoing radical transformation, in part because of major changes in the powertrain and energy sources for propulsion and because of increased environmental concerns, but most especially because of the added powers of automation and the enhanced desires of automobile occupants for increased communication features. The increased features give rise to multiple challenges, such as driver distraction and, with automation, moving the driver 'out of the loop' so driver control becomes difficult or impossible. As a result, in this major transition, there are many challenges, especially in the ways that people interact with the systems to give them enhanced pleasure with enhanced safety."

Missy Cummings, associate professor at Duke University and director of the Humans and Autonomy Laboratory
"Driverless car technology is promising in terms of creating safer and more efficient driving systems, but the robustness of the technology and the interaction between the human driver and driverless technology are not yet well understood. I look forward to working with Nissan on issues of automation mode confusion, skill degradation, boredom and distraction, and trust issues for driverless cars."

Terry Fong, director of Intelligent Robotics Group at the NASA Ames Research Center
"NASA and Nissan share a common interest in advancing the capabilities of autonomous and connected vehicles. These robotic vehicles can perform important services for humans to increase safety, reduce workload and enable significant cost and energy savings."

About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the Americas media sites NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.

About Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 236,000 employees globally, Nissan sold more than 4.9 million vehicles and generated revenue of 9.6 trillion yen (USD 116.16 billion) in fiscal 2012. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of over 60 models under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. In 2010, Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF, and continues to lead in zero-emission mobility. The LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle launched globally, is now the best-selling EV in history.

For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

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