Nissan Develops Dream Driving Lullaby to Rock Babies to Sleep

Nissan has developed an innovative solution for parents who feel that taking their children for a drive can help put them to sleep. Such parents enjoy the benefits of such a drive but feel terribly guilty about the impact it has on the environment. Those looking for a guilt-free solution can now rest easy, thanks to the Nissan LEAF Dream Drive.

The Nissan LEAF Dream Drive is billed as world’s first zero-emission lullaby, and was conceptualized by Nissan engineers in collaboration with Sound Designer and Sleep Coach, Tom Middleton. It is a sleep album for babies that replicates the peaceful sound frequencies of a humming combustion engine and can lull them to sleep without causing any CO2 emissions.

Recent research has found that across Europe, as in all parts of the world, parents are terribly sleep-deprived. Most parents (65 percent), having a child who is two years or younger, survive on less than five hours of sleep a night, and about 60 percent of them admit that they resort to dream driving their children to sleep. Over half of them (57 percent) admit that they take their children for a ride to help put them to sleep at least once a week.

Nissan conducted a study to investigate why parents opted to use “dream driving”, as the practice of taking children for a drive to lull them to sleep is called, the car maker found that 70 percent of the parents attributed the effectiveness of this technique to the power of the vehicle’s movement. The actual fact, though, is that it is the soothing sound frequencies of an internal combustion engine (ICE) that played the biggest role in helping a child to fall asleep in the car.

Paul Speed-Andrews, Noise and Vibration Development Manager at Nissan said that an EV like the Nissan LEAF is a better choice for dream driving, though its quietness might not be as effective as the sound produced by an ICE car. Combustion engines transmit a sound frequency, a blend of of white, pink and brown tones. These tones combine to create a sound landscape that is particularly soothing to children.

Using internal combustion powered vehicles for such dream driving means a larger carbon footprint and it is estimated that such behavior leads to up to 70,000g of CO2 emissions every year. About 70 percent of parents in Europe agree that using an EV for such driving would reduce their guilt related to dream driving and would help them to feel that they are better environmental role models for their children.

Nissan worked with leading Sound Designer and Sleep Coach, Tom Middleton, to develop Nissan LEAF Dream Drive – the first zero-emission lullaby that comprises five, three-minute tracks. These tracks work in alignment with the advanced in-car technology that is available within the all-electric LEAF to help put a baby or cranky toddler to sleep.

“Nissan’s zero-emission lullaby combines early auditory development research with creative strat-egy and is inspired by the audible and inaudible sounds of the Nissan LEAF,” said Sound De-signer, Tom Middleton. “Together with Nissan, we are finding innovative, health and safety-conscious ways to apply functional sound within EVs that goes beyond the vehicle itself, effec-tively inspiring a new generation of purpose-driven, human-first car design and functionality.”

Tom Middleton added this was a world first collaboration with a car as featured artist. The lullaby features in addition to the combustion engine frequencies that only children can hear, every sound and rhythm derived from interior and exterior recordings of the LEAF.

Using a Nissan LEAF for dream driving could also make the experience more relaxing for parents as it means zero exhaust emissions and a smoother ride thanks to the e-Pedal functionality in the LEAF. This technology facilitates seamless driving and braking with the use of a single pedal.

The ProPILOT Assist from Nissan also helps to a significant extent in reducing driver stress and making dream driving at night safer and more comfortable. It can be used to help maintain a steady speed, keep at a safe distance away from other vehicles on the road and to ensure that they maintain lane discipline.

“The Nissan Dream Drive depicts the future of using sound and other sensory elements to im-prove people’s lives, bringing together multisensory science, immersive technologies and sound design to explore new wellness-led opportunities within mobility.,” said Ari Peralta, interdiscipli-nary researcher who helped provide research insight on the project. “Our first – the Nissan LEAF Dream Drive, crafted in collaboration with Nissan – is set to help sleep-deprived parents across Europe.”

Parents can use either Android Auto or Apple CarPlay to connect their smartphone to their Nissan LEAF and thus gain access to the lullaby that is available on platforms like Apple Music, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube and Deezer.