The Tahoe was developed by Carnegie Mellon University, General Motors and other partner companies. It uses a combination of LIDAR, radar, vision and mapping / GPS systems to see the world around it. It recognizes road geometry and perceives other traffic and obstacles on the road, and figures out where it’s safe to drive in order to avoid obstacles while completing the driving mission. Boss recently navigated 60 miles of urban traffic, busy intersections and stop signs in less than six hours to win the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) 2007 Urban Challenge competition.
Today’s vehicles already feature an emerging family of electronic driver-assist technologies – known as autonomous driving – aimed at reducing driver errors that can result in crashes. Electronics-enabled autonomous driving is a significant technology advancement that will impact future transportation.
Technologies already on today’s vehicles include adaptive cruise control; stability control systems; security system; pre-crash sensors; side blind zone assist; and lane departure warning systems. While these technologies are not a substitute for driver responsibility and attention, they can help reduce errors that can lead to crashes, enhance occupant safety and address traffic congestion.