Connected and Automated Driving with IAV

Today I had the amazing opportunity to ride along in an automated, self-driving vehicle outfitted with IAV technologies at the MICHauto annual summit in Detroit. 

This VW was outfitted with IAV Automotive Engineering's technologies for automated driving. For this demonstration, the vehicle was designed for semi-automated highway driving, so the driver manually drove the vehicle to Detroit's M10 where he then engaged the highway driving system. By using radars, sensors and cameras, the vehicle can calculate vehicles and objects around it and navigate traffic accordingly. The vehicle's cameras are also able to calculate lane markers to accurately steer as the road curves. Once on the expressway, the driver sets the automated system using switches similar to cruise control and once the driver presses the set button, the car will maintain its current speed and starts lane marking. During this driving, active cruise control also kicks in and the driver can adjust the safety distance between the cars in front of him manually using buttons on the steering wheel at any time. The driver can also over-steer the system at any time to manually take control of the vehicle. 

It was incredible to see where the future is headed in the very near future! It's days and experiences like these where I am overwhelmingly reminded of the large impact of the work we are doing here in Detroit has on the world and society. I feel so lucky to be a part of it.