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Small Pivo Has Big HeartStory by Jeff Feldsher - October 9,2007 It seems as though the Japanese have the market cornered on increasingly funky technology. In keeping with that tradition, the Pivo 2; developed by Nissan, is scheduled to be unveiled at the Tokyo Auto show later this month. Looking much like a bubble with tiny wheels attached, this fully electric car comes with many wacky innovations. Chief among them is the cars ability to turn all its wheels 90 degrees in either direction allowing for full lateral movement. This enables it to park in the tiniest of places without all that extra effort required to perform a perfect parallel park. As if that wasn’t enough, the car itself can actually pivot 360 degrees in any direction, regardless of where the wheels are pointing. A large single door, looking not unlike a submarine hatch allows access for up to three passengers.
Now here’s where things really take a radical departure. Robotic hardware integrated into the cabin can detect the driver’s mood. Information gathered from audio and optical sensors can interpret the driver’s facial expressions, as well as rate of speech from voice samples and send the data to a motorized head located near the steering column. A sweet voice provides companionship and tries to soothe the driver with one of its many pre-programmed phrases. "We want people to feel how cars can be so much fun," said Shiro Nakamura, Nissan's head designer. Looks like Tokyo traffic jams will never be the same again.
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