GM: Expect self-driving vehicles by 2020

GM's advanced automotive safety and navigation technology will be used to create self-driving cars.

(Credit:
GM)

Self-driving vehicles may seem cutting-edge, but they could be commonplace sooner than you think, according to GM.

GPS, sensors, cameras, and wireless technology are available in many cars currently on the market, and are used in lane-departure, crash-avoidance, and navigation systems to make vehicles safer and more convenient for consumers to drive. But they're also the building blocks of autonomous platforms, and when used in concert with car-to-infrastructure communication, they open the door to vehicles that can operate on autopilot--a technology leap that isn't that far off from becoming a reality.

Cars that are semi-autonomous will be available by the middle of the decade, said Alan Taub, vice president of research and development at General Motors, in a news statement. Adaptive Cruise Control, a lightweight version of autopilot that uses radar to maintain traveling speed, is available in many GM vehicles, but still requires driver engagement.

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