Nissan Adopts 180-Year-Old Invention To Address Distraction While Driving

Nissan UK has adopted a nearly 200-year-old technology to create a concept that will help reduce distraction due to smartphones while driving. Called 'Nissan Signal Shield', the concept is a prototype compartment within the arm rest of a Nissan Juke that is lined with a Faraday cage - an invention dating back to the 1830s. After a mobile is placed in the compartment and the lid is closed, the Nissan Signal Shield creates a 'silent zone' wherein all incoming and outgoing cellular, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connections are blocked. The concept also offers optional connectivity, allowing drivers the choice between being able to contact and be contacted from the road, or creating a 'phone-free' zone.

Nissan Signal Shield Concept

Alex Smith, Managing Director, Nissan Motor GB Ltd. said, "Nissan produces some of the safest cars on the road today, but we are always looking at new ways to improve the wellbeing of our customers. Mobile phone use at the wheel is a growing concern across the automotive industry, and indeed society, particularly with the high number of 'pushed' communications, such as texts, social media notifications and app alerts that tempt drivers to reach for their devices. The Nissan Signal Shield concept presents one possible solution for giving drivers the choice to remove all smartphone distractions while driving. This is about delivering more control at the wheel, not less. Some drivers are immune to the activity of their smartphone, but for those who struggle to ignore the beeps and pings, this concept provides a simple solution in this very 'connected' world we live in."

Nissan Signal Shield Prototype

The Nissan Signal Shield employs the principle of the Faraday cage, an enclosure made of a conductive material which blocks electromagnetic fields. When an electronic device is placed inside the compartment, any incoming electromagnetic signals, such as cellular or Bluetooth data, are distributed across the cage's external conducting material, thus preventing them from reaching the device.

However, if drivers wish to listen to media stored on their smartphone, they can still connect to the car's entertainment system via the USB or auxiliary ports. The device is capable of maintaining wired connectivity even when it is placed in the Nissan Signal Shield compartment. To completely restore the phone's wireless connections, drivers only need to open the arm rest to reveal the compartment and the phone will be able to reconnect with the mobile network and the car's Bluetooth system.