General Motors on Wednesday announced the latest update to its on-ramp driver assistance technology. In 2028, GM will add blindfolded highway driving to its arsenal of tricks, starting with all electric SUV Escalade IQ.
current moment GM Super Cruise System was my favorite highway driving aid technology for many years. The system uses a combination of radar sensors, camera and GPS to provide hands-free driving assistance on selected highways that have been mapped using high-resolution lidar data. Super Cruise requires the driver to be alert, keep an eye on the road and be ready to take control if an unexpected situation occurs, and uses a driver-facing camera to ensure this requirement is met. The next-generation technology announced today will eliminate this requirement.
The driver will be able to enjoy content or make video calls without taking his eyes off.
To make this leap, the automaker will start by installing a lidar sensor on the roof of its Cadillac Escalade IQ electric SUV. (The position at the top of the windshield is the same as SUV Volvo EX90.) GM says the redundancy of lidar, radar and cameras provides a huge advantage in terms of reliability and capability, which casts a bit of a shadow over vision-only systems like the one used by one of its companies. more famous rivals.
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GM also believes that the key to an impressive safety record is maintaining predictable highway conditions rather than prematurely addressing chaotic road conditions. According to the automaker, Super Cruise drivers have driven approximately 700 million hands-free miles in the eight years since the feature was introduced without a single system-related accident.
Escalade IQ will illuminate the instrument panel with turquoise light to let the driver know when they can take their eyes off the road to “sit back and read or view messages while the car is being driven.” Turquoise lights in the exterior mirrors will also alert other drivers that the vehicle is operating autonomously. Currently, Super Cruise uses a combination of blue and green lights on the steering wheel to inform the driver of the system's status.
GM's as-yet-unnamed surveillance system will be powered by a new and more powerful centralized computing platform that will also debut on the Escalade IQ in 2028. The new digital backbone network will be fully integrated into every vehicle system, boasting 1,000 times more capacity to handle all the data it has to accept, and “up to 35 times more artificial intelligence performance for autonomy and advanced features.” GM says the system will be able to learn and continually improve long after the car leaves the showroom, and will have 10 times the ability to receive software updates over-the-air.
