GM says almost-driverless cars coming by 2020

Tom Krisher phys.org Sometime before the end of this decade, General Motors will put a car on the road that can almost drive itself. The automaker says the system, called "Super Cruise," uses radar and cameras to steer the car and keep it between lane lines. Also, the radar keeps the car a safe distance from cars ahead of it, and it will brake to a complete stop if necessary. GM and other automakers such as Mercedes, BMW and Lexus already offer radar-guided cruise control systems that keep their cars a safe distance from other vehicles and even stop before a crash. They also have systems that warn the driver if they're drifting out of their lane. But until recently, engineers haven't been able to steer with computers, according to GM. "The steering control is the big additional piece," said John Capp, GM's director of electrical controls and active safety technology. On Wednesday, engineers showed off the system for reporters at the company's testing grounds in Milford, Michigan, north of Detroit. The system adds control of electric power steering to off-the-shelf technology that's now available. Although they still have bugs to work out, a Cadillac SRX SUV equipped with the technology worked very well. Capp says a lot of development work still needs to be done about road conditions, reaction of sensors, visibility of lane lines and how the system will interact with the driver, who still would be in control and can easily override the computer system. He says it's possible GM could sell the system well before the end of the decade. It would debut in Cadillacs, GM's luxury brand, but likely would spread to the rest of the company's lineup. With the system, people will be able to take their hands off the wheel on a freeway and let the car do the work, he said. to read more click here: phys.org