Photo Credit: Grendelkhan, Wikimedia Commons

Driverless vehicles, otherwise known as autonomous, or self-driving cars, are no longer science fiction. The technology is here, and several companies are already pushing the boundaries of what we thought as possible on the roads. While fully autonomous vehicles are yet to become a reality, there have been exciting developments on the driverless car arena in recent years. Here’s a look at 5 companies influencing the future of self-driving cars. For more helpful engineering advice, news and career opportunities, make sure you subscribe to NewEngineer.com here.

Google

Since 2009, Google has been developing its own self-driving technology to be used by Toyota Prius and Lexus models on the streets of Mountain View, California, near the search giant’s headquarters. The company has since started adding new streets every week. Google has made big strides since it first started testing. Its proprietary technology can now recognize pedestrians and cyclists, detect hundreds of objects simultaneously and even “read” stop signs. In 2014, Google revealed plans to build fully autonomous vehicles for testing, and in January revealed the prototype. These cars don’t have a steering wheel, brake pedal or accelerator pedal, as sensors and software do the work. While the tech giant doesn’t plan on producing these vehicles commercially, the tech giant is exploring the potential of partnerships with Continental AG.

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz has been testing driverless vehicles on public roads in California since September 2014. It has also been testing in Germany. The Mercedes-Benz S 500 Intelligent Drive succeeded in driving fully autonomously 100 kilometers — a little more than 62 miles — between the German cities of Mannheim and Pforzheim. The most recent accomplishment for the automotive giant was the F015 Luxury in Motion driverless car revealed in January at the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, in Las Vegas. This car is growing beyond its role as a mere means of transport and offers a variable seating system with four rotating lounge chairs that allow a face-to-face seat configuration. It also continuously exchanges information between the vehicle, passenger and outside world.

Delphi Automotive

Delphi developed and has been testing its self-driving Audi SQ5s, which are SUV crossovers, in California and Nevada. In January, Delphi showed off two of its automated cars on the streets of Las Vegas during the CES and was named as one of Mashable.com’s top picks of CES. The vehicles were able to handle a variety of urban driving scenarios, including pedestrian crossings, intersections, and traffic lights. The car also was able to adjust to “unexpected obstacles,” such as a cyclist or another vehicle pulling in front of the self-driving car.

Nissan

Nissan is using the all-electric Leaf for various stages of autonomous vehicle testing at its Advanced Engineering Center in Japan, and in California at the Nissan North American Silicon Valley Research Center. The brand has been testing the vehicles since 2013 and plans to commercialize autonomous driving technology in stages. Recently, the automotive giant announced a five-year research and development partnership with NASA with the objective to advance autonomous vehicles and prepare for commercial application of the technology.

Bosch

Bosch has been developing and testing automated functions and automated-driving features on BMW 3 Series vehicles in both California and Michigan for the past three years. In 2013, the engineering and electronics company started testing its automated driving technology on the Autobahn in Germany. Some of the possible benefits of the autonomous vehicles include improved safety, traffic management, reduced greenhouse gases and reduced burden on older drivers.

Although there’s still a long way to go before driverless technology become commercially available and affordable, its benefits are clear at this stage. It can not only significantly reduce the staggering number of people killed in car accidents but introduce a new standard of travel that is safer, comfortable and versatile. As we’re moving closer towards self-driving cars becoming a mainstream reality, we are about to experience the full extent of the benefits of this technology for both businesses and consumers.

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