Nissan Presents Leaf Sound for Pedestrians...

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sparky

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Joined
Apr 23, 2010
Messages
745
Location
SoCal
I guess we can hear this next week.
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/nissan-presents-leaf-sound-for-pedestrians-21303.html

Aside for the Leaf itself, Nissan will showcase the Approaching Vehicle Sound for Pedestrians, which will be first featured on the Nissan Fuga hybrid this fall. The sine-wave sound system sweeps from 2.5kHz at the high end to a low of 600Hz. The sound emitted by the system is louder when the car starts, it is released as an intermittent sound when the car is in reverse and is disengaged when the Leaf exceeds 30 km/h (18 mph).

Also here: http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencarad...ound-system-to-leaf-previews-test-models.html

Nissan said in a press release late Thursday that the sound system "will make sweeping, high-low sounds" that will be loudest when the car is started and will be generated intermittently when it is backing up.

The EV sounds are generated by a synthesizer located in the dash and broadcast via a loudspeaker in the front of the car (the engine compartment on a conventionally powered vehicle).

And here: http://finchannel.com/news_flash/Oil_&_Auto/64845_The_'New_Car'_Experience/

Depending on the speed and status (accelerating or decelerating) of Nissan LEAF, the sound system will make sweeping, high-low sounds. For instance, when Nissan LEAF is started, the sound will be louder, so a visually impaired person would be aware that a nearby car was beginning operations. And when a car is in reverse, the system will generate an intermittent sound. The sound system ceases operation when Nissan LEAF tops 30km/h and enters a sound range where regular road noise is high. It engages again as Nissan LEAF slows to under 25km/h.

The system is controlled through a computer and synthesizer in the dash panel, and the sound is delivered through a speaker in the engine compartment. A switch inside the vehicle can turn off sounds temporarily. The system automatically resets to "On" at the next ignition cycle.
 
Maybe we can find a way to hook up a microphone and pre-amp as an additional input to this speaker's amp to have a front-facing PA system?

If the speaker is in front, and the sounds can be heard to the rear when the car is backing up, then the sound is likely to be OBJECTIONALLY LOUD inside the cabin?
 
Since the sound varies with startup, direction, and possibly speed, it is likely to be a real-time microprocessor-generated sound instead of a "recording" file (that one might possibly change).

But, maybe the µP will be re-programmable (though probably not), or at least replaceable.

It will have to tie into the car network to get speed, rev/fwd, "starting", etc. status.

It could be integrated such that the car will not run without properly "talking" to it.

The best news is the switch to turn it off (for regions that do not require this "insane" noise-maker, of course).
 
Nissan has unveiled the pedestrian alert sounds the LEAF will make, and can be seen in the videos:

http://nissan-leaf.net/2010/06/11/nissan-leaf-sound-revealed/
 
I'm sure it'll have a dedicated fuse... Just pull the fuse and the feature is off for good. Hopefully without a warning light on the dash ;)
 
Merged. thanks to JTM5000 for the link.

Sounds like a plane ...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yO5msMEGZI[/youtube]

The reverse is annoying ...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZK74nUJl48[/youtube]
 
JTM5000 said:
Nissan has unveiled the pedestrian alert sounds the LEAF will make, and can be seen in the videos:

http://nissan-leaf.net/2010/06/11/nissan-leaf-sound-revealed/


HowDee,

I was just reading a comment by EVNow over at the site I write for (Nissan-Leaf.net) about another topic (cost of insurance) and he said you had a thread about it...figured I would check it out.

It was a great thread, and I just wanted to pop by and say 'hi,' and say that you have a really nice/knowledgeable community here. Keep it going! Have to get the 'word' out on the LEAF...and all EVs.
 
That's not so bad. Having an annoying sound in reverse might not be such a bad thing.

I remain unconvinced that the forward noise is necessary, but it could be a LOT worse.
 
sparky said:
A switch inside the vehicle can turn off sounds temporarily. The system automatically resets to "On" at the next ignition cycle.
I can't express how much I hope that the ability to disable these sounds is true. Any bets as to how long it takes before someone "hacks" this so that it's flipped so that the system is always "Off" unless you hit the switch?
 
A backup alert is perfectly fine and reasonable, and this one seems to do the job without too much distress. I guess I'll have to actually hear the forward sound in the real world to decide how obtrusive it really is or isn't.
 
I have been driving an all electric plug-in for the past year. We live in a beach neighborhood that does not have sidewalks and as a result people, dogs, horses etc. walk in the streets. When driving an electric car you simply assume that you are "invisible", and should not pass pedestrians from behind or people crossing the street until they acknowledge your presence in some manner. This goes for parking lots as well. One of the top 5 joys of electric motoring is the delightfully calm silence of getting from point A to point B. The ability to talk to your cabin mate without yelling. The prospect of adding annoying noise to the driving experience seems to me to be a band-aid solution to a problem that does not exist.
 
In developing the sound system, Nissan studied behavioral research of the visually impaired and worked with cognitive and acoustic psychologists.
Jeez, I thought visually impaired people were more acoustically sensitive.

Nubo said:
A backup alert is perfectly fine and reasonable, and this one seems to do the job without too much distress.
I disagree. When my neighbors all have hybrids or electrics, I'm not looking forward to hearing them back out of their driveways every morning starting at 5am and pulling into their driveways at 2am.
I'm gonna find a sock to stuff in that speaker.
 
sparky said:
Jeez, I thought visually impaired people were more acoustically sensitive.

Good one. That sound is way too loud. Much noisier than an ICE and really quite annoying. I'm definitely going to insert a kill switch into mine. Only turn it on if there are inattentive people around....the way it should have been implemented.
 
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