Watch Cadillac's new semi-autonomous Super Cruise in action

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Filed under: Technology, Cadillac, GM



Cadillac is trying to make a name for itself on the safety and technology front, recently introducing its new Safety Alert Seat and outfitting new models with a suite of safety equipment that arguably puts it among the leaders in the industry. We got a chance to sample some of this last month, but we were also allowed to "drive" a semi-autonomous SRX test mule equipped with what Cadillac is calling "Super Cruise."

Nominally an improvement on adaptive cruise control, Super Cruise is actually a more sophisticated system that uses a camera communicating with the car's GPS to "see" the road ahead. It goes one step further than currently available systems, however, automatically centering the vehicle in the lane using its electric power steering system. Unlike other active lane-departure systems that use a car's brakes to help prevent it from veering off the road, the system General Motors is developing allows for precisely setting the vehicle's position within the lane. The test mule we sampled had steering-wheel-mounted buttons that would allow you to "nudge" the car from side to side by a foot at a time without upsetting its course. Super Cruise also communicates with the vehicle's other active safety systems to help prevent and mitigate crashes.

Super Cruise is designed only for use on the highway, to "ease the driver's workload."

Super Cruise is designed only for use on the highway, to "ease the driver's workload," with drivers still required to steer in city traffic and for more complicated maneuvers like passing. GM officials acknowledged the difficulty in deploying a system like this, a technology that if used improperly may encourage inattentive driving. Supposedly the system will only be functional under the specific circumstances for which it is designed, much like today's in-car entertainment systems will not play video on the front screen unless a vehicle is in Park. Currently the system is somewhat limited by external factors, like weather and the need for distinct lane markings. If visibility is low or the road doesn't have at least one clear lane demarcation, Super Cruise won't function. However, GM says it will improve the vision abilities of the system as it readies the technology for the marketplace.

GM says that Super Cruise could be introduced into production vehicles in just a few years, "by mid-decade." While on the one hand, its ability to help improve the safety of our roads is laudable, we can't help but express our frustration at the march of technology headed inevitably towards removing the physical act of driving from the motoring equation.

Scroll down to watch some video of us aboard the Super Cruise-equipped test mule and read the full press release.Continue reading Watch Cadillac's new semi-autonomous Super Cruise in action

Watch Cadillac's new semi-autonomous Super Cruise in action originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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[MaCgyver]

I think google already has a car that can do this...and more. Nice to see they are releasing stuff like this to production cars.

[briantech]

god that is amazing. I would bet my life on letting a computer drive me, better than I'd want some of these drunk / idiot / sleepy drivers out on the road currently.

[HOTCIVIC]

Originally Posted by MaCgyver

I think google already has a car that can do this...and more. Nice to see they are releasing stuff like this to production cars.

Self-Driving Car Test: Steve Mahan - YouTube

Self-Driving Car Test: Steve Mahan - YouTube

[esandes]

his airbag is removed. i'd want it back in for "look ma, no hands!" driving.

[Speedfreak]

What stupid shit is that..........a waste of R&D money....

[fdjizm]

I don't see this as a good idea at all. More reason for idiots who already drive like idiots to try and multi-task in their car.

[Jeffro]

Originally Posted by Speedfreak

What stupid shit is that..........a waste of R&D money....

I'll bet you're glad that Obama shit-canned NASA too.

[dave1w41]

Originally Posted by esandes

his airbag is removed. i'd want it back in for "look ma, no hands!" driving.

Nearly all test vehicles have the airbags removed. They often have computers and other equipment mounted in the car for data gathering/monitoring purposes and having live airbags around those kind of objects can cause them to become projectiles.

[1badls2goat]

Originally Posted by HOTCIVIC

Self-Driving Car Test: Steve Mahan - YouTube

This is why Silicon Valley > *

[dave1w41]

Originally Posted by fdjizm

I don't see this as a good idea at all. More reason for idiots who already drive like idiots to try and multi-task in their car.

If Ford executes it like the "My Ford Touch" and "Sync" that would be true. For companies that can execute technology, this makes for a safer vehicle. People are already multitasking and not doing a very good job of it.

[Wild Willy]

I have been saying in here for a couple years that driving yourself is quickly becoming an obsolescent idea. Between DARPA and Google, and the ever-increasing rate of technical advance, soon slow carbon-based lifeforms are going to be too slow and too stupid to be trusted operating vehicles. Oh, maybe in some remote, off of the paved highway system, or maybe a farm tractor- many of which are already guided by GPS. Future looks pretty bleak for the car enthusiasts.

[Tristan]

Originally Posted by Speedfreak

What stupid shit is that..........a waste of R&D money....

You can't possibly still have functioning legs as hard as you knee-jerk react to everything.