Many of the enabling technologies, such as adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning systems, already exist.
One day, the company's engineers hope, drive-by-wire could link to the fancy cruise-control, lane-maintenance and vehicle-separation systems that are already being used in some Mercedes models.
Together, the camera and laser sensors monitor the white lines and, if the car strays out of its lane, an electronic control unit attached to an electric power-steering unit corrects it.
The model I drove came loaded with heated and cooled front and rear leather seats, Bluetooth, Xenon headlamps, illuminated door plates, XM radio, stability control, lane departure warning, 19-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof, and park assistance with rearview camera.
Autonomous driving in slow traffic is a logical combination of adaptive cruise-control and the lane-keeping systems, already available in some vehicles, which either warn the driver if the car starts to drift out of lane, or apply corrective steering to keep it in lane.
The lights were put in place last week to control traffic on Dixcart Lane.
The A387 at Sandplace Road has been closed while the B3253 St Martin's Hill is under traffic light control, letting one lane of traffic through at a time.
Instead, look for the technology to roll out gradually, building on systems that are already available, like adaptive cruise control, active braking, lane-keeping systems and parking assist.
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Ford's outfitted the Fusion Energi with a dizzying array of driver-assist tech, including a lane-keeping system, adaptive cruise control, driver alert system, active park assist, rear camera, blind-spot indicator system with cross-traffic alert and pull-drift compensation (phew).
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Between the blind-spot monitoring system, the active lane-keeping, the adaptive cruise control (maintaining a set distance to the vehicle ahead), and the "precollision" system, which uses internal cameras to monitor drivers' faces for signs of inattention, the GS350 is about as close to an automated auto as you'll find on the market.
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When asked, some study participants expressed strong interest in having a vehicle that could drive itself, particularly for long trips when lane centering and full-speed range adaptive cruise control could help lighten the driver's workload.
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By the time Lane and Bloom had quit in 2000 Safra Catz had taken control.
That gave him control over lucrative, shore-based properties, like Lane Crawford department stores.
Cars that can do smaller functions, such as control a car in traffic jams, keep you inside lane markings or auto-park, are already on the road or about to come to market courtesy of Toyota, Mercedes, BMW and others.
High-tech options include adaptive cruise control, rear parking assist with cross-path detection and a lane departure system that not only alerts you if the vehicle drifts out of the lane, but gently guides you back between the lane markers.
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This advanced version of automatic cruise control works alongside a system that corrects the car when it drifts out of its lane.
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