((THE TECHNOLOGY IS PROGRESSING
VERY RAPIDLY IT
TURNS OUT THE TECHNOLOGY HAS
BEEN EVOLVING SIGNIFICANTLY OVER
THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.))
CARS OF THE FUTURE COULD BE
CLOSER THAN YOU THINK -
SELF-DRIVING CARS WERE TESTED
TODAY ON THE UNIVERSITY AT
BUFFALO'S NORTH
CAMPUS.
NEWS 4'S ANGELA CHRISTOFOROS
TELLS US HOW THEY WORK. ANGELA.
CHRISTY A LOT OF US MIGHT
IMAGINE THESE CARS WOULD LOOK
LIKE SOMETHING OUT
OF THE JETSONS - BUT THEY
ACTUALLY LOOK JUST LIKE NORMAL
CARS.
LAST MONTH GOVERNOR CUOMO
ANNOUNCED NEW YORK STATE IS
OPENING IT'S
ROADS TO AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE
TESTING FOR ONE YEAR.
TODAY I GOT TO GO FOR A SPIN TO
SEE HOW THIS FASCINATING
TECHNOLOGY WORKS.
THAT SOUND MEANS THE DRIVER CAN
BASICALLY KICK BACK AND LET THE
CAR DO
THE WORK.
((NO FEET ON THE PEDAL EITHER
IT'S JUST BASICALLY
DRIVING ITSELF, IT'S A NICE
STRAIGHT STRETCH OF THE ROAD SO
JUST A COMFORTABLE RIDE. ALMOST
BORING, YOU CAN
GET SOME WORK DONE PERHAPS.))
THIS AUTONOMOUS CADILLAC SUV WAS
BUILT AT CARNEGIE MELLON
UNIVERSITY
BACK IN 2011.
IT HAS TECHNOLOGY THAT ALLOWS
THE CAR TO DRIVE ITSELF.
LIEUTENANT GOVENOR KATHY HOCHUL
TOOK IT FOR A TEST RIDE TODAY ON
THE UNIVERSITY AT
BUFFALO'S NORTH CAMPUS.
((YOU REALLY FEEL LIKE YOU'RE IN
AN ORDINARY VEHICLE IT'S
NOT DESIGNED ANY DIFFERENTLY
OTHER THAN HAVE A FEW CAMERAS
POINTED IN DIFFERENT PLACES SO I
THINK
THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO
BE SURPRISED AT. ))
((I WILL BE MAKING A RIGHT TURN
THERE SO THE KEY IS TO
BASICALLY WATCH THE STEERING
WHEEL AND SEE WHAT THE WHEEL IS
DOING.TAKING A 90 DEGREE
RIGHT TURN.))
SUPPORTERS BELIEVE DRIVERLESS
CARS COULD MAKE TRAVELING ON THE
ROADS SAFER.
THE CADILLAC WE DROVE IN
FOLLOWED THE SPEED LIMIT AND
COULD EVEN DETECT
TRAFFIC LIGHTS.
((TRAFFIC LIGHTS OF THE FUTURE
WILL ACTUALLY TALK TO
AUTOMATED CARS AND TELL US WHAT
THEIR STATUS IS WAY AHEAD OF
TIME.))
THE DRIVER CAN TAKE CONTROL OF
THE VEHICLE THOUGH, AT ANYTIME
((IT'S JUST LIKE CRUISE CONTROL
AND YOU DISENGAGE
WHEN YOU SEE FIT.))
((I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'RE THAT
FAR OFF IS WHAT I CAME AWAY
WITH. I FEEL LIKE I WAS IN THE
CAR OF THE FUTURE BUT THE FUTURE
IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.))
THIS TECHNOLOGY IS BEING
DEVELOPED THROUGH A PARTRNERSHIP
BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY AT
BUFFALO AND CARNEGIE MELLON
UNIVERSITY.
THE STATE HAS PUT 5 HUNDRED
THOUSAND DOLLARS INTO SUPPORTING
THE
RESEARCH AT U-B.
IT COULD STILL BE YEARS THOUGH
BEFORE SELF DRIVING CARS RULE
THE ROAD.
