Information creates a new relationship between people and vehicles. A network vehicle for interactive communication.

Nissan regards the perfect network vehicle as one with 'a new interface connecting people and their town via information'. Enabling motorists to access in real time the wealth of information available around town provides new dimensions of driving pleasure and convenience that have never been experienced before.

The question of what type of vehicle would be suitable for a "net-vehicle" was completely rethought. The notion of a completely new, ideal interface was incorporated into a totally new vehicle concept, one that transforms 'cruising' into 'surfing'.

ideo is a medium for connecting the closed passenger compartment to the outside world. Japan's urban environment is densely concentrated with a myriad of amenity spots. The objective for the ideo is to enable occupants to enjoy communicating with places of interest around town by giving them efficient access to the wide variety of information disseminated in the urban environment. Driving in ideo functions as a communications medium for browsing the vast sea of information actually available around town, in a manner similar to surfing the virtual world of the Internet.

Ideo's exterior and interior have been executed in an advanced, high-quality design that is user-friendly.

The entire instrument panel serves as a display screen facilitating stress-free access to information. Along with creating an ideal environment for obtaining information, an attractive interface design has been adopted to support smooth interactive communication.

Advanced exterior design incorporating Japanese architectural techniques
The exterior design symbolically expresses a next-generation vehicle with the tires positioned as closely as possible to the four corners. With an overall length of 3,600 mm, the ideo features a stable-looking form while simultaneously providing the maximum interior space possible. The unique design is based on a lengthwise motif, with the four corners of the body supported by the four wheels serving as pillars, while effectively utilizing the simplicity of the body. The absence of B-pillars and the four upright symmetrical center-opening doors provide wide openings for making it easier to get in and out the ideo.

Pursuing a fusion of high functionality and aesthetics, the ideo is a Japan-originated concept embodying delicate, modern Japanese design elements throughout. Taking a hint from Japanese architecture, the glass top incorporates an aluminum lattice similar to a lattice ceiling. The welcome lights give the impression of a paper-covered lantern, faintly visible through a paper sliding door.

Fourteen CCD cameras, consisting of eight plan-view cameras and six look-around cameras, are installed around the body. Besides helping the driver to confirm vehicle safety, they also serve significantly to expand the future possibilities of IT capabilities.

Interior design, a totally new relationship between the driver, operating controls and display screen
The interior of the ideo is rendered in a simple and modern theme. The absence of a conventional instrument panel and the rounded, integrated floor, resembling the inside of a sleigh, give the interior a simple spatial composition. A 'Super Surround Screen', measuring 1,170 mm wide and 280 mm high, is integrated into the interior space. The front seat moves up and down by means of a lifter, and the adjustable steering wheel is mounted to the side of the instrument panel and retracts toward the front. Every driver can obtain the optimum driving position by adjusting the position of the steering wheel and the pedal height.

Steering wheel-mounted thumb controls make it easy to switch and control screen displays. The maximum steering angle in both the right and left directions has been set at 80 degreees to cut down on unnecessary hand movements. The upper part of the steering wheel is shaped in a horizontal semicircle for improved screen visibility.

A controller for each seat position is incorporated in the surface of the front and rear consoles. Embedded in the front seatbacks are 15 inch screens for the rear-seat passengers, allowing every passenger the use of an independent screen.

An enjoyable car-driver relationship
The ideo welcomes the driver through a sequence of actions as if the car and the person were engaged in a dialogue. One good example of this is the welcome lights. When a person carrying an ID card approaches the ideo, lamps at all four corners illuminate as the vehicle's sign of welcome. Upon opening the door, the entire door frame is illuminated. When the driver sits in the driver's seat, the screen is automatically activated and the retractable steering wheel emerges to complete the sequence of actions.

User interface provides enjoyment and fascination
A large screen has been adopted to present information to the occupants in a natural manner. Images come onto the screen in a manner that blends naturally with the external scenery unfolding before the occupants' eyes.

The dialogue-like relationship between the car and the occupants is also reflected in the action of presenting information on the screen. Screen displays do not change in a cold, mechanical fashion, rather the screen responds to an occupant's instructions with seemingly lifelike action. This gives the person the sensation of having a dialogue with the screen. In addition, when a large volume of information is presented in one display, consideration is given to the order in which information is shown, and a time difference is provided in the presentation of information. This enables the occupants to process large amounts of information efficiently.

Screen content
City browsing
In the browsing mode, people can cruise around town while accessing the wealth of information available in an urban environment just like surfing the Internet. Digitized town images fly onto the 'Super Surround Screen' in real time. Constantly changing information that is usually hidden away inside buildings is presented in the form of live images, voice and text. Information about a distant place is presented in a small, inconspicuous manner that increases in size and prominence as the car approaches it. This lets the occupants virtually stroll through an enormous sea of information. Category selections can be set to match individual preferences or the time, place and occasion, so that the system responds only to the information that is desired at that time.

For example, suppose the system is set to entertainment information. When the ideo approaches a movie theater, information such as the movie now showing, seat availability, show times and parking space availability is presented on the screen in text and graphics. The driver can bookmark information of interest with the steering wheel-mounted thumb controls and access it later for further details when the vehicle is stopped. Instead of being simply a means of transportation to a destination, the car is designed to be a means to 'discover something new'. The ideo provides the 'pleasure of driving while accessing information from the outside world'.

Enhanced navigation system
The Super Surround Screen shows large navigation images on the passenger's side. In addition to a two-dimensional view as seen from directly above the vehicle's current position, the system can also show a three-dimensional panoramic view that emphasizes the earth's curvature. This view of the urban landscape appears as if it was taken from a helicopter following the ideo.

The front-seat passenger can manipulate the navigation screen to search for information that can then be transferred to the driver's side, creating a new way of sharing information. Including the two rear-seat screens, information can be exchanged among any of the four screens in the ideo.

Driver-assistance mode and parking mode
The driver-assistance mode serves as a system for gathering information on the surrounding environment by manipulating the CCD cameras installed on the car. At intersections, the 'Super Surround Screen' shows the situation to the right and left, and a plan view is shown when parking the vehicle, enabling the driver to view all around the car. When a person or an obstacle is detected in the vehicle's immediate vicinity, a warning is displayed to alert the driver. In the parking mode, different screen displays can be shown as desired by individual occupants while the vehicle is stopped, such as a game screen on the passenger's side and a navigation screen on the driver's side.