# Cars as Schools of Fish Nissan Explores How Cars That Mimic Fish Can Help Avoid Collisions By Rainer Takahashi | Published 2009-10-05 | Autos Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nissan-cars-fish References: [ca.news.yahoo](http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/091001/oddities/japan_auto_technology_offbeat) Japanese engineers at Nissan Motor Co. have been studying fish and their ability to swim collision-free in large groups, and are trying to apply their discoveries to future vehicles. So far, these engineers have successfully created robots that can travel in a group of up to seven, avoiding each other and obstacles simultaneously. It is their hope that this technology will one day help reduce accidents on the roads. **Implications** - The robots are actually quite cute and are even featured in different colors. They sort of look like blobby ghosts. The fish-mimicking robots were tested on a track where anxious onlookers hoped to see the basis of future safety. For now, people will just have to practice their safe driving skills. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.5/10 - Popularity: 19% | Activity: 77% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Autos](https://www.trendhunter.com/autos) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Swarm Robotics:** Developing robots that can travel in groups, avoiding collisions and obstacles simultaneously, inspired by the behavior of fish. - **Bio-inspired Design:** Exploring how natural phenomena, such as fish swimming in large groups collision-free, can be applied to innovative vehicle technologies. - **Collision Avoidance Systems:** Creating advanced technology that helps reduce accidents on the roads by mimicking the collision-free behavior of fish in groups. ### Who This Affects Most - **Automotive:** Incorporating fish-inspired collision avoidance systems into vehicles to enhance safety and reduce accidents. - **Robotics:** Exploring swarm robotics inspired by the behavior of fish to create robots that can move as a collective, avoiding collisions and obstacles. - **Transportation:** Applying bio-inspired design principles, such as fish swimming in large groups collision-free, to improve the safety and efficiency of transportation systems. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Turtle-Inspired Sleek Automobiles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vision-imobility.md) - [Autonomous Tandem Drift Sequences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tandem-drift-sequence.md) - [AI-Designed Drift Sequences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gr-supra.md) - [Automated Vehicle Maneuverability Features](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/autonomous-drifting.md) - [Urban Robot Traffic Safety](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/polis.md) - [Autonomous Road-Assessing Features](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lane-monitoring.md) - [Rotating Vehicle Cabins](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/active-cockpit.md) - [Robotic Baby Car Puppets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/iruyo-intelligent-puppet.md) - [Motorized Tray Cars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nissan-e4orce-ramen-counter.md)