Japanese automaker Toyota has revealed its plans to launch an auto-pilot driver assist system in its next-generation cars, which will help avoid collisions.
The car maker said that the latest technology may be used in its cars in the next two years.
The auto-pilot driver assist system will use radio waves to collect relevant data on the speed of other vehicles around the car to maintain safe distance. The system will communicate wirelessly with other vehicles, as well as keep the car in the middle of the road lane.
"Currently, no product is launched in the market with these technologies and almost every global automaker is now researching and developing. These would be the first steps toward autonomous driving technology," said Takashi Morimoto, a consultant at Frost & Sullivan in Tokyo.
Self-driving may be seen as the future of the car industry and automakers like General Motors have also indicated that such cars may be launched by 2020. Similarly, Nissan has also said that it is testing a Leaf model car with an advanced driver assist system on Japanese roads. Search giant Google has also invested in driverless technology for cars.
Autonomous cars are also legal to run on roads, for testing only, in the state of Nevada in the U.S. The state passed a law on in 2011 permitting the operation of autonomous cars in Nevada and the law went into effect from March 1, 2012. The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles has also issued the first license for an autonomous car in May 2012. A modified Toyota Prius running on Google's driverless technology was the first autonomous car to receive a license in Nevada.
Other states in the U.S. have also joined the bandwagon to allow the testing of autonomous cars on public roads. Florida and California have also legalized the use of self-driven cars for testing purposes in 2012. More states may also allow autonomous cars to run on their roads in the near term.
The Japanese company claimed that the key reason to develop automated driving systems is to reduce traffic fatalities. Moreover, with the real-time speed information shared via wireless communication, driverless cars can help to reduce traffic congestions and also increase the fuel efficiency of the cars.
