Self-driving cars aren’t far away
Email
Print
Letter to Editor
Share
Updated: October 28, 2009 9:15 PM
A new project is being launched in Europe to develop and test technology for vehicles that can drive themselves in long road trains.
This technology has the potential to improve traffic flow and journey times, offer greater comfort to drivers, reduce accidents, improve fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions.
After driving to a motorway, a motorist will be merged with a number of other cars that inch up to each other, travelling at normal speed in a close-formation convoy.
The vehicles will be equipped with a navigation system and a transmitter/receiver unit that communicates with a lead vehicle.
The first test cars equipped with this technology will roll on test tracks as early as 2011.
Since the system is built into the cars, there is no need to extend the infrastructure along the existing road network.
The idea is that each road train or platoon will have a lead vehicle that drives exactly as normal, with full control of all the various functions.
An experienced driver who is thoroughly familiar with the route drives this lead vehicle. For instance, the lead may be taken by a taxi, a bus or a truck. Each such road train will consist of six to eight vehicles.
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.
-30-
v2
