Some people love driving, and when they take a road trip, they relish every second behind the wheel. Others find driving to be a burdensome necessity that occurs between the places where you would actually like to spend your time. If you belong to the latter group, you can probably think back to a time when you were just over a drive. You had been behind the wheel for ten hours, still had another eight to go, and wished for a button you could push that would get you to your destination. Or maybe you wished that the car would just drive itself.
Delphi Automotive just completed a cross country road trip with their self-driving SUV. The trip started in San Francisco and ended in New York City, totaling 3,500 miles. Numerous companies have been testing out autonomous vehicles, but the Delphi trek has been the farthest by far.
For safety and legality, the Delphi SUV had a human behind the wheel for the entirety of the trip, but the vehicle was driving itself. It followed the speed limit, slowed down around other vehicles, and was able to stay within the lines of the road. The SUV relies on a series of sensors and cameras to safely navigate the roads and accommodate for traffic.
This technology is not unlike Subaru’s EyeSight technology. EyeSight Driver Assist technology uses a combination of sensors and cameras to give the driver a safer driving experience. It features Adaptive Cruise Control, Pre-Collision Braking, Pre-Collision Throttle Management, and Lane Departure and Sway Warning.
EyeSight helped Subaru outperform the competition in Safety Ratings. The 2015 models of the Legacy, Outback, Forester, Impreza, and XV Crosstrek all received a superior safety rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
There are still obstacles to overcome before fully autonomous vehicles can be on the road. While the technology is here, it still needs to be perfected. There’s also the fact that most states don’t have laws that allow for self-driving vehicles. The estimates for when we can expect to see autonomous cars on the road ranges from five to twenty years.
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