The other option is to have Sentience, or a program like it, installed on every car on the road, said Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Joseph Sussman, an expert on intelligent automotive systems. "These technologies are quite positive from the point of view of fuel consumption and safety," said Sussman. People talking on cell phones and elderly drivers with slower reaction times would benefit from software that would automatically slow or stop a vehicle. In the long run, equipping vehicles with Sentience-like systems is a step toward fully-autonomous vehicles, say both Overton and Sussman, although such systems are still at least a decade away. "Ultimately you could say that this will end with driver-less cars," said Overton. The soonest that the Sentience system could be found on vehicles is 2012. Related Links: Discovery Tech for news, interviews and more HowStuffWorks.com: Economics and the Future of Car Repairs |
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