A US company will soon begin selling a a kit that lets you turn your existing car into a self-driving autonomous drone.
Want your car to drive itself? Well now you can thanks to an off-the-shelf kit that lets your vehicle navigate through the streets by itself, sensing and avoiding other cars. The system, known as Crusie RP-1, is being billed as the world’s first ‘highway autopilot’.
The Cruise RP-1 kit includes a ‘sensor pod’, placed on the roof of compatible cars, and a computer unit that passes commands to various vehicle systems, mounted in the boot.
The sensor pod uses GPS, cameras, radar and other measurement devices to build a picture of the surrounding environment, relaying that data to the computer, which controls the steering, braking and throttle, ensuring your car stays in its lane while maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles.
The Cruise RP-1 can be turned on and off by the driver via a remote control in the cabin.
The technology is relatively cheap at just £5,900 and is compatible with the Audi S4 and A4, although Cruise plans to extend the list of compatible models. It is ready to pre-order in the US with shipping beginning early next year, although it sadly won’t be available in the UK.
Its maker, Kype Vogt, says “This is not the holy grail. But it’s a first step and I think some people will really enjoy it.”
Drivers are still expected to abide by the law and currently drivers are liable for any system malfunctions of the Cruise RP-1. Accidents will be treated as though the driver were driving themselves.
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