Relax your hands and feet while this car drives for you
Posted 04.23.2012 at 11:56 am
16 Comments
No Hands
Cadillac "Super Cruise" is designed to ease a driver's workload, according to the luxury carmaker.
General Motors
Though driverless cars are making plenty of inroads, it may be awhile yet before people are willing to hand over the keys and let their cars take over entirely. But a few autonomous functions may make the transition smoother. Cadillac is testing lane-detection and automatic braking technology for use on highways, according to General Motors.
This feature, called “Super Cruise,” could be available within a couple years. Model year 2013 Cadillac ATS and XTS sedans already have a new package called Driver Assist, which uses an array of sensors to detect forward and rear obstacles and potentially avert crashes. The cars have lane departure warnings, a head-up display, blind zone alerts, automatic braking capability and more, Cadillac says.
Related Articles
Tags
Cars, Rebecca Boyle, autonomous cars, cadillac, driverless cars, luxury cars, roads, self-driving cars, smart carsCombined with the self-centering lane tech and automatic braking, highway commutes could be entirely car-operated. The technology would “lighten the driver’s workload,” as GM put it in a news release. Personally, I don’t consider driving to be a lot of work — I kind of enjoy it — but maybe the typical luxury-car-buyer would find it a plebeian chore.
As we’ve seen before, Cadillac is not the first luxury carmaker to adopt this technology — Mercedes is using cameras, radar and other sensors on some of its vehicles. GM says the highway-driving cars could be available by mid-decade.
Super Cruise: General Motors
Want to keep track of the latest concept cars, automotive innovations, and more? Subscribe to Popular Science today, for less than $1 per issue!
16 Comments
To comment, please Login.
Popular Tags
Cars on Popular Science
|
|
|
|
|
|
June 2013: American Energy Independence
Five amazing, clean technologies that will set us free, in this month's energy-focused issue. Also: how to build a better bomb detector, the robotic toys that are raising your children, a human catapult, the world's smallest arcade, and much more.
Popular on Popsci
Most Commented
Most Emailed
Online Content Director: Suzanne LaBarre | Email
Senior Editor: Paul Adams | Email
Associate Editor: Dan Nosowitz | Email
Assistant Editor: Colin Lecher | Email
Assistant Editor: Rose Pastore | Email
Contributing Writers:
Rebecca Boyle | Email
Kelsey D. Atherton | Email
Francie Diep | Email
Shaunacy Ferro | Email
Today on PopSci.com
Copyright © 2012 Popular Science
A Bonnier Corporation Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
So, what about the rear facing camera and multi-directional microphones to search for Emergency Vehicles and advise drivers of these "smart cars" to get the heck out of the way and let us through!?
You would think that people would be smart enough and not be an idiot and cruse in the left lane. That way emergency vehicles can go through and allow people to pass.
It's not that they don't move, its that they just don't hear you or see you until you are RIGHT on top of them because these new cars have "super quiet" cabs.
Makes it unsafe for emergency vehicles.
Future Ambulances/Police Cars/Fire Trucks should send a signal to smart cars that would trigger some kind of alert for the driver to GTFOOTW.
Newer Mercedes E-class already has lane detection, along with adaptive cruise control which basically speeds up or slows down the car and keeps a set distance from the car in front of you.....how is this new?
Many car companies from Europe have had advanced cruise control for years now. Including lane assistance to warn drivers when they are going outside of a lane while on lane dedicated cruise mode. But to also let the car itself stay in the right lane seems an accident waiting to happen. If the lane is not clearly marked ,which happens a lot, then you will see choas and destruction on the roads.
This is really a big step towards full automated driving. It should have more certainty by possible outside backupsystems buid in. Or cars that stay in automatic contact made mandatory for all new models. Non the less i`m certain all cars will drive themselves sooner or later. Who knows, my children might not even need a drivers license.
@xhino
And where did the article say this was new? Maybe if you pulled your head out of your butt and actually read the article and used your brain cell, you would have known that you illiterate turd.
yeah it is called a siren :P
This is crazy old tech, didn't Toyota release this in their economy car in 2010, meaning american luxury is 4 years out of date with Japanese economy.
In a vehicle with a rear-view mirror and two outside mirrors there is no such thing as a 'blind-zone', and frankly, I'm tired of hearing about it as if there IS.
Even Washington state's Driver's Guide claims that there ARE blind zones, and you get negative marks on your test if you don't look over your shoulder to check your non-existant blind-spots.
Amateurs.
If there's govt funding, I'll buy shares in the company that makes the technology to upgrade the highway lane indicators.
@DirtySquirties,
don't call people that unless you know them there is no need to say that! Besides you could of said it nicer! So don't get your knickers n a twist!
Peace,Love and Happiness!
If the driver accident does hit someone, who is liable for the accident, is it the manufacture of the car or the driver for not keeping his hands on the wheel and mind on the road.
Besides, I find it uncomfortable to be watching the travel down the road and my arms cross. It just feels better to hold the wheel.
Technical it is an achievement of sorts, but I think it will never be legal, because of the liabilities.
.............................
Science sees no further than what it can sense, i.e. facts.
Religion sees beyond the senses, i.e. faith.
Open your mind and see!
It would be the driver's fault. The driver needs to be in control at all time. This tech is to assist you in driving, not drive for you. If the vehicle was fully autonomous then I would say yes
@DirtySquirties
first off i bet you wouldn't talk like that to me face to face you coward. Second, this article isnt new or exciting its old news.. just because Cadillac is adding another sensor and camera to the system doesn't make it worthy of writing this whole article is all i was saying, you pole smoker
This might work technically on the slowly and steadily moving US highways, but I can guarantee that it'd be a death trap on the german Autobahn.
Cadillac is known as one of the best reputed brand all over the world. This new feature‘Super Cruise’ seems to be amazing one and i am sure it will create new attractive buyers for Cadillac. Great Work.
http://newbikes.indiandrives.com/