Nissan will next week unveil its ‘Invisible-to-Visible’ (I2V) vision for connected cars which will help drivers see obstacles otherwise hidden out of sight.

Created through Nissan Intelligent Mobility, the company’s vision for changing how cars are powered, driven and integrated into society, I2V will merge information from sensors outside and inside the vehicle with data from the cloud.

This enables the system not only to track the vehicle’s immediate surroundings but also to anticipate what’s ahead – even showing what’s behind a building or around the corner.

During manual driving, I2V provides information from Omni-Sensing as an overlay in the driver’s full field of view.

I2V will make its debut at the CES trade show, and Tetsure Ueda, an expert leader at the Nissan Research Centre, said: “By helping you see the invisible, I2V enhances your confidence and makes driving more enjoyable.

“The interactive features create an experience that’s tailored to your interests and driving style so that anyone can enjoy using it in their own way.”

I2V is powered by Nissan’s Omni-Sensing technology, which acts as a hub gathering real-time data from the traffic environment and from the vehicle’s surroundings and interior

Nissan’s SAM (Seamless Autonomous Mobility) technology analyses the road environment through real-time information, and the ProPilot semi-autonomous driver support system provides information about the car’s surroundings.

The technology maps a 360-degree virtual space around the car to provide information about road and intersection status, visibility, signage or nearby pedestrians.

I2V can also connect drivers and passengers to people in the Metaverse virtual world. This makes it possible for family, friends or others to appear inside the car as three-dimensional, augmented-reality avatars to provide company or assistance.

The driver can also book a professional driver from the Metaverse to get personal instruction in real time.

The professional driver appears as a projected avatar or as a virtual chase car in the driver’s field of vision to demonstrate the best way to drive.