Spain hosts a caravan of self driving Volvo vehicles
Several autonomous automobiles drove on Spain’s public roadways in a first ever milestone in the development of self driving vehicles, according to a statement issued by Volvo, an automaker headquartered in Sweden. A truck operated by a professional driver led four autonomous Volvo automobiles, including three sedans and a pickup truck down a public motorway this month, the automaker’s representatives reported. The self driving vehicles were able to monitor oncoming traffic as well as the lead vehicle using wireless communication devices connected to laser sensors, radar equipment, and cameras, a system the automaker calls Ricardo autonomous control. Using this technology, the autonomous automobiles are able to follow the vehicle in the lead from a safe distance and respond in the same way without input from any additional human. Earlier this month, this caravan of autonomous automobiles traveled more than 124 miles down a roadway near the Barcelona metropolitan region. The automaker posted a video of one of the self driving automobile’s occupants, the project’s manager, transitioning from driver to passenger by lifting her feet from the pedals and taking her hands off the wheel. Later, she was filmed reading a magazine while the vehicle proceeded down the road at 53 miles per hour. According to a statement released by Volvo, the project’s eventual goal is to produce a car which will safely drive itself while its occupants can participate in other tasks, such as text messaging or eating without putting other vehicles on the road in danger.
