German Researchers Testing Cars That Drive Themselves

If, like most Americans, you drove to work this morning, chances are you encountered an increasingly common scenario on the road: other drivers whose driving abilities (or lack thereof) and concentration on the road (or lack thereof) make you want to scream. (And sometimes, you probably do.)

You may also have wondered if you'll live long enough to see the day when cars can drive themselves, leaving the cars' “drivers” free to do what it is apparent they'd prefer to be doing, rather than driving: chat on the phone, send text messages, dance, play air guitar, watch YouTube (News - Alert) videos, drink coffee, eat donuts, apply make-up, talk to passengers animatedly, resolve their marital issues, investigate the contents of their nose, rummage through their glove compartments, discipline their children and sight-see. (I once made a regular commute during which I would frequently see a woman practicing the flute while driving on the highway. And yes, since you might ask, you DO need both hands to play the flute.)

The Germans think they may have found a solution to the problem by creating a “car of the future” – a completely computer-controlled vehicle that is now roaming the streets of Berlin, minus any human operation. Researchers from Berlin's Free University are testing the new car, a modified Volkswagen Passat – all over the city's roadways.

The car, which has been in development for four years, uses a sophisticated combination of a computer, sensors and navigation systems (there is a precision satellite navigation system in the trunk of the car) plus a camera in the front and laser scanners on the roof and around the front and rear bumpers, reports the Associated Press (News - Alert).

“The vehicle can recognize other cars on the road, pedestrians, buildings and trees up to 70 meters around it and even see if the traffic lights ahead are red or green and react accordingly,” said Raul Rojas, the head of the university's research group for artificial intelligence, during a press presentation last Friday. “In fact, the car's recognition and reaction to its environment is much faster than a human being's reaction.” (Which isn't saying much, some days.)

This isn't the first car that can drive itself, however. Google is testing a “smart” Toyota Prius in the Nevada desert. And last year, an experiment sponsored by the European Research Council saw four driverless electric vans successfully complete an 8,000 mile test journey from Italy to China – essentially a modern-day version of Marco Polo's journey around the world – culminating in an arrival at the Shanghai Expo in October.

In the Berlin experiment, researchers had to request special permission from the city's security and safety controllers to allow the car into regular traffic, though the city's security personnel insisted that a “backup” human driver sit behind the steering wheel of the car, even if that person is only along for the ride. On a special testing ground, the team was allowed to let the car run without anyone on board, reports the AP.

“This kind of technology is the future of mobility,” said Rojas though he stressed that it may be 30 to 40 years before the cars are available to the average consumer.

Well, that's good. It will be available just about the time many of us will be too old to drive safely.