Imagine owning a car that does all the driving while you sit back and relax. Your fantasy seems to be getting closer to reality, thanks to scientists who are designing such a "self-drive" vehicle. A European team claims to be working on such a fantasy car which can drive itself - in fact, tests would start next year on such vehicles that "drive themselves" and could be on roads within 10 years, ’The Daily Telegraph’ reported.
Co-ordinated by a UK company, the European Union project is called Safe Road Trains for the Environment and it involves a "carpooling" road train theory for use on motorways. The road train would consist of six to eight vehicles whose occupants would be able to relax, read the paper or chat on mobiles while traveling; this’ll be possible as their cars would be equipped with a navigation system and a transmitter unit that communicates with the lead vehicle, say scientists.
This lead vehicle - possibly a taxi a bus or a truck - will drive "normally" and effectively "do the motoring" for the rest of the road train. Drivers approaching their destination will take over control of their own vehicle, leave the convoy by exiting off to the side and then continue on their own to their respective destinations, according to the scientists.
