Driverless car technology 'passes first test'

Date: 19/1/2011

Driverless journeys are looking closer to becoming a reality, following the first successful test of "platooning".

Researchers from the Safe Road Trains for the Environment (SARTRE) have announced that a recent test of the process on Volvo's Swedish test track- where a vehicle with no driver was coupled with a lead car driven by a professional - went according to plan.

The aim is to see whether a whole train of automated cars will be able to follow one motorist.

It is hoped that in the future, cars joining a motorway will be able to get in line behind one lead vehicle and automatically follow it until they need to leave, when they would simply pull out of the formation and take control again.

The technique could help to relieve congestion, improve road safety and reduce fuel consumption.

Tom Robinson, SARTRE Project Coordinator of Ricardo UK, said: "With the combined skills of its participating companies, SARTRE is making tangible progress towards the realisation of safe and effective road train technology."

Volvo is one of the partners on the project, which includes the SP Technical research Institute of Sweden and Ricardo UK.

Posted by Mary Treen