Researcher: Self-driving cars could save U.S. auto industry

19.11.2008
For the struggling U.S. auto industry to survive over the long term, Detroit must take back its technology leadership role and start developing self-driving cars, according to a researcher.

, a professor of computer science and director of the artificial intelligence laboratory at Stanford, told Computerworld that technology is revolutionizing what automobiles can do. He added that the U.S. lags behind Europe, Japan and South Korea in terms of finding ways to use robotics to make cars safer, more energy efficient and easier to use.

For example, Tokyo-based last fall showed off its at the Tokyo Motor Show. The robot, which sits in the dashboard of the company's Pivo 2 concept car, uses built-in cameras to read the driver's facial cues to pick up on whether she's getting tired or stressed out. The robot, speaking in English or Japanese, will nod, shake its head and even blink while it talks the driver out of a bad mood or suggests that she pull over and take a break.

On the home front, researchers unveiled their plans for the , a foldable, stackable two-seater vehicle. The frame of the car is designed to fold in half so the cars can be stacked up eight deep in one city parking space.

"I think the U.S., as a nation, has to push these technologies harder than anybody else," said Thrun in a phone interview following his keynote address today at the in Santa Clara, Calif. "For me, the American spirit is one of innovation and I don't see this that right now coming out of Detroit. This nation should take this moment to think about why we are not the leader in automotive technology. We clearly are not."

Thrun's keynote comes as over whether to bail out the ailing U.S. auto makers. The country's largest auto manufacturer, GM, is struggling just to survive a historically bad automobile market. And officials from Ford Motor Company, GM, Chrysler and the United Automobile Workers are today and tomorrow about the state of affairs in Detroit and their need for a bailout.