Nissan has made a golf ball that finds its own way home on the putting green.
Called the ProPILOT golf ball, it is inspired by the ProPILOT 2.0 driver assistance technology set to debut with the new Nissan Skyline in Japan this September. The ProPILOT system was designed for on-ramp to off-ramp (ramp-to-ramp) highway driving. It engages the vehicle’s navigation system to help maneuver the car according to a predefined route on designated roadways. The system is the first in the world to combine this with hands-off driving while cruising in a single lane.
Like the ProPILOT 2.0 system, the ProPILOT golf ball follows a predefined route toward its goal. An overhead camera detects the position of the ball and cup. When the ball is hit, a monitoring system calculates the correct route based on the ball’s movement and adjusts its trajectory. Combining the sensing technology with an internal electric motor, the ProPILOT golf ball stays on route until it reaches the cup.
The ProPILOT golf ball is the latest in a series of concepts inspired by the brand’s Nissan Intelligent Mobility technologies. Previous concepts include the Intelligent Parking Chair, the ProPILOT Chair, and the ProPILOT Park Ryokan (Japanese Inn) which featured self-parking slippers.
Visitors can practice their golf swing with the ProPILOT golf ball from August 29 through September 1 at the Nissan Global Headquarters Gallery in Yokohama.