Awake at the wheel: Automakers tap VR to banish boredom in autonomous cars

An autonomous drive Nissan Leaf drives during a media preview of autonomous Renault-Nissan Alliance vehicles in Sunnyvale, California January 7, 2016. REUTERS/Noah Berger/Files

SHANGHAI: Audi, Nissan and other car makers are banking on talking cartoon characters and other virtual reality experiences to keep drivers and other occupants of future autonomous vehicles entertained, auto industry executives said. 

Automakers have long focused on getting drivers to sit tight and pay attention to the road. Now, as the industry moves to self-driving cars and drivers become passengers, they face a new problem: how to tackle passengers’ boredom?