autonomous intelligent systems

A new autonomous vehicle-control system on the BMW drawing board could prolong drivers' lives behind the wheel, without sacrificing their own and others' safety. That's good news for elderly drivers. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports crash fatalities among drivers over the age of 70 fell 21 percent between 1997 and 2006, despite a 10 percent increase in that population. The decline is likely due to elderly drivers self-limiting their driving. But hanging up their keys means a loss of independence and lower quality of life for older drivers -- especially in rural areas.

Meet MAKRO, the world's first untethered robotic sewage pipe inspector. Developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Autonomous Intelligent Systems in St. Augustin, Germany, MAKRO's segmented, wormlike design gives it unprecedented mobility, allowing it to maneuver around sharp bends and climb over soggy refuse, tree roots, even stairs, says designer Hermann Streich. Existing sewerbots are leashed to power supply cables and can only move forward.