Autonomous Cars Cruising To A Dealer Near You, Soon

Autonomous cars promise fewer crashes, increased roadway capacity, improved parking ability and more. Carmakers plan to integrate elements of the autonomous car as they roll out new features in coming years, sneaking in the idea that drivers will not be needed at some point. This week, AutoRevolution detailed Cadillac’s new Super Cruise System, designed to be a cruise control system with super powers.

“In just a few words, the so-called Super Cruise system is more like an adaptive cruise control function with a pack of top-notch improvements, all of which could turn a regular car into a self-driving one,” says AutoRevolution. According to Cadillac, not only will the new system do everything we expect from cruise control but also new-generation safety systems will make sure the “driver” and the passengers are on the safe side all the time.

Did you think self-parking was a nice improvement? Super Cruise uses radar, ultrasonic sensors and cameras to track the vehicles in front and adjust its position on the road to keep the lane.

“The primary goal of GM’s autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicle development is safety,” John Capp, General Motors director of Global Active Safety Electronics and Innovation told AutoRevolution. “In the coming years, autonomous driving systems paired with advanced safety systems could help eliminate the crash altogether by interceding on behalf of drivers before they’re even aware of a hazardous situation. More than ever, consumers will be able to trust their car to do the right thing.”

See all the details in this video.




Flickr photo by jurvetson

Autonomous Cars Almost Ready, Drivers Not So Much

Autonomous cars, once seen only in works of science fiction, are almost a reality. The robotic version of today’s motor vehicle is promising to deliver fewer crashes, increased roadway capacity, improved parking ability and more. Car makers say the driver-less vehicles would even eliminate constraints due to the occupant’s state assessing age, disabilities or even blood alcohol level.

As Gigaom reports, the future is fast approaching.
“There is no technology barrier from going where we are now to the autonomous car,” said Jim McBride, a Ford Research and Innovation technical expert who specializes in autonomous vehicle technologies. “There are affordability issues, but the big barrier to overcome is customer acceptance.”

Research vehicles
with cameras that can see the road in all directions should be more efficient than a driver with just mirrors. Scanning lasers, vehicle-to-vehicle communications and a hive-like network linking thousands of vehicles at once for maximum safety are all elements available today.However, drivers are not so eager to embrace autonomous cars, so automakers are taking it a step at a time by gradually introducing drivers to more automation.

“People are more accepting of the idea,” Mike Kane, the Ford vehicle engineering supervisor for driver assistance technologies. “They always want their cars to do more. . . . It is going to take a decade before the masses fully accept the autonomous car, but they’ll get there.”

[Flickr photo via Daniel Dreier]