Cadillac Could Have Self-Driving Car by Mid-Decade

Google isn’t the only company working on a self-driving car. Cadillac today announced that it is actively road testing a semi-autonomous system called Super Cruise that can control a vehicle’s steering, braking and lane-centering capabilities. Super Cruise, according to Cadillac, is designed to help make freeway driving easier on the driver when either stuck in traffic or during long hauls down the interstate. 

The system works by combining on-board radar, ultrasonic sensors, cameras and GPS data to give your car the ability to read lane markings and detect curves in the roadway. In addition to the aforementioned capabilities, Super Cruise will also take advantage of Cadillac’s current suite of intelligent vehicle sensors and systems that make up its Driver Assist Package.

Available in the automaker’s 2013 XTS and ATS sedans, the Driver Assist Package includes rear automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, brake assist, forward collision alert, safety alert seat, automatic collision preparation, lane departure warning, blind spot alert, rear cross traffic alert, adaptive forward lighting, rear-view camera and heads-up display. Once implemented with Super Cruise, Cadillac says their vehicles should be able to intervene for drivers during potentially dangerous driving situations.

Cadillac says that for added safety, Super Cruise can be easily overridden by the driver. Unfortunately, the system won’t work during poor weather conditions or when lane markings aren’t visible.

While it’s still early in the development process, Cadillac says Super Cruise could make it to market by mid-decade.

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