ANN ARBOR – The heart of the world’s autonomous- and connected-car research isn’t in Silicon Valley, it’s at a University of Michigan research facility. Roadshow CNET.Com’s new video series, features Driving Detroit – an in-depth look at this groundbreaking future-mobility cityscape at MCity.
Exciting new mobility and transportation startups are appearing every day, and transformed, re-energized auto industry stalwarts are bringing new technology and fresh ways of thinking to bear in Detroit. Modern America was built on the back of Motown, and this city’s nascent industrial and cultural revitalization has all the makings of America’s greatest comeback yet. Join CNET.Com as it takes a closer look with its Roadshow series.
In theory, autonomous cars are simple to use. You hop in, buckle up, speak your destination and off you go, free to check your email, finish that movie or just watch the world go by. In fact, the latest self-driving prototypes are already remarkably close to that reality. But the road to our driverless future is infinitely more complicated, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Even though we’re already mastering the technology, the intangibles are proving far more difficult. How will a self-driving car know what to do when a school crossing guard waves it through an intersection? Will it reliably detect a siren and flashing lights and know to pull to the shoulder for a passing emergency vehicle?
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