Imagine this, you leave your home in the morning and drive to the motorway. Once there you team up with a number of other cars and you all inch close to each other. Then once you are in formation you can let go of the steering wheel and spend your time reading the morning paper, talking on the phone or watching the TV, while your car drives itself in complete safety.
This is the vision of a new part EU funded project called SARTRE (Safe Road Trains for the Environment) which will develop and test technology for vehicles so that they can drive themselves in long road trains on motorways.
The idea is that each road train will have a lead vehicle that drives exactly as normal, with full control of all the various functions. This lead vehicle is driven by an experienced driver who is thoroughly familiar with the route.
A driver approaching his destination takes over control of his own vehicle, leaves the convoy by exiting off to the side and then continues on his own to his destination. The other vehicles in the road train close the gap and continue on their way until the convoy splits up.
“I do appreciate that many people feel this sounds like Utopia,” says Erik Coelingh, technical director of Active Safety Functions at Volvo Cars. “However, this type of autonomous driving actually doesn't require any hocus-pocus technology, and no investment in infrastructure. Instead, the emphasis is on development and on adapting technology that is already in existence. In addition, we must carry out comprehensive testing to verify our high demands on safety."”
The first test cars equipped with this technology will roll on test tracks as early as 2011.
Related links: Cars That Drive Themselves by 2020?
2 thoughts on “Cars That Drive Themselves Within 10 Years?”
i saw a lexus do that 10 yeasr ago. was a concpt i think
Interesting stuff, thanks! x