Carnegie Mellon Completes Successful Self-Driving Car Demonstration

Rep. Bill Shuster of Pennsylvania takes a ride in Carnegie Mellon's self-driving car. Photo courtesy Carnegie Mellon University.

By Caitlyn Beck



Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have demonstrated a self-driving car, which aims to improve passengers’ daily commute and personal safety. The university used a 2011 Cadillac SRX equipped with automotive-grade radars, lidars and computers, with software developed to avoid obstacles such as traffic cones, stop lights, bikers and pedestrians, but all hidden from view, appearing to be an ordinary Cadillac. 



CMU’s unique self-driving SRX completed a 33-mile drive from the northern Pittsburgh suburbs to the Pittsburgh International Airport, south of the city. 



The congested drive proved the car is capable of safely navigating the roads, merging onto busy highways and changing lanes. 



“Autonomous driving technology is progressing rapidly,” said Raj Rajkumar, director of CMU’s U.S. Department of Transportation research funded center and codirector of the CMU-General Motors Autonomous Driving Collaborative Research Lab, noting that the goal of the car is to improve general safety on the road by eliminating hazards such as drunk driving and drivers attempting to multitask, by allowing the passenger to more efficiently use their time.



“We are fortunate to have government leaders with passion and vision for the potential of technology to transform U.S. transportation,” Rajkumar continued. “The technology and infrastructure necessary for making transportation safer and keeping our nation globally competitive in the growing market for autonomous driving doesn’t come easily or cheaply. Much work remains to be done on both the technological and policy fronts.” Rajkumar expects for the demonstrated technology to be implemented gradually, suggesting vehicles like the SRX will become commercially available by 2020. 



While the ride was done autonomously, there was a person in the driver seat. Also along for the extraordinary ride were Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Barry Schoch, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.