Vehicles that partially drive themselves will be available by
the middle of the decade with more sophisticated self-driving
systems by the end of the decade, says Alan Taub, vicepresident
of Global Research and Development at General Motors. These
advances in autonomous vehicle technology are built on leading-
edge advanced active safety systems, Taub told a recent
gathering of the Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress in
Orlando. Sensors, radars, portable communication devices, GPS
and cameras are the tools that supply critical information to
the driver and the automobile's computer system. Combined with
digital maps, the same technologies will allow the driver to let
the vehicle concentrate on driving while he does something else.
"The technologies we're developing will provide an added
convenience by partially or even completely taking over the
driving duties," Taub said. "The primary goal, though, is
safety. Future generation safety systems will eliminate the
crash altogether by interceding on behal