The Center for Automotive Research at Stanford is partnering with Ford Motor Co. to help the manufacturing giant develop self-driving vehicles with the "common sense" that humans rely on for safe navigation in evasive maneuvers.
Using remote sensing lidar (think radar, but using light), the research would equip automated cars to "peek ahead" of objects, like large trucks, that might be blocking the view of the road ahead, much as human drivers do by maneuvering within their lane. If a truck driver slammed on his brakes, the self-driving vehicle would know whether it could safely change lanes. The goal, Ford says, is to build greater "intuition" into its automated technology.
CARS is a leader in automated vehicle research. Shelley, its driverless Audi TTS, has made headlines for speed and handling, summiting Colorado's Pikes Peak and hitting speeds of 120 mph on a racetrack. MIT is also collaborating with Ford on related research.
