Volkswagen Demonstrates Driverless Technology The system, called
“Temporary Auto Pilot,” allows the car to drive autonomously on
highways or in stop-and-go city traffic. The system uses
multiple ultrasonic and radar-based sensors, laser scanners,
video cameras and an electronic horizon to allow the car to
survey and react to road conditions by itself. TAP maintains a
predefined distance between you and the car ahead while
maintaining a selected speed, which is much like many adaptive
cruise control systems do today. The system also keeps the
vehicle centered between lane markers and can overtake other
vehicles and change speed limits depending on the observed laws
of the road. VW points out that TAP is supposed to act only as a
second pair of eyes on the road in case of driver distraction or
fatigue. Volkswagen foresees the technology being useful during
monotonous driving situations like heavy stop-and-go city
traffic or over long expanses of highway commuting. Ultimately,
VW says the driver still needs to m