Manufacturers motor on with driverless cars at electronics show

Car-makers and technology firms are jumping on the bandwagon of the driverless car, which remains a concept as well as a platform for new technologies to improve safety on the road.

This week, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Toyota and Audi showed off their ideas for autonomous vehicles, in the wake of the push by Google on its driverless car. And others may follow suit.

Toyota drew attention with its electronic Lexus sedan, equipped with a host of sensors and cameras. “It has the ability to drive itself, but we won’t allow it,” said Jim Pisz, corporate manager at Toyota North America.

Pisz said the technology is similar to Google’s with the use of electronics, but that “the Google focus is on software mapping, that’s what they’re really good at.

“Toyota focuses on safety programs and more integrated programme”.

The Japanese car-maker maintains that its 2013 Lexus LS, also being shown at the expo, has “the world’s most advanced pre-collision safety system” but its driverless cars are only being used in closed research centres.

The growing use of advanced electronics for auto safety, communications and entertainment has prompted a record eight car makers to attend the Las Vegas show, along with firms working on related products and services.

Audi’s Ulrich Hofmann told AFP that the new technology “helps the driver in situations where it’s boring to drive, and leaves you to drive when it is fun”.

Audi showed its concept for a driverless vehicle in a simulator. Hofmann said an autonomous car could be developed within five to eight years but noted that “there are a lot of regulatory and legal issues”.

Ford researcher Pim van der Jagt said the US auto giant halted its programme on driverless cars several years ago.

The concept “seemed so far out, it didn’t make sense having big teams working on it”, he said, but added that “now, with the interest in the Google car, politicians are starting to speak about it” and Ford has resumed its programme.

Nevertheless, “a full autonomous car is far out, and may even never exist”, van der Jagt said.