These advances in autonomous vehicle technology are built on leading-edge advanced active safety systems, Taub told the Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress in Orlando on Sunday.
Sensors, radars, portable communication devices, GPS and cameras are the tools that supply critical information to the driver and the automobile's computer system. Combined with digital maps, the same technologies will allow the driver to let the vehicle concentrate on driving while he does something else.
"The technologies we're developing will provide an added convenience by partially or even completely taking over the driving duties," Taub said. "The primary goal, though, is safety. Future generation safety systems will eliminate the crash altogether by interceding on behalf of drivers before they're even aware of a hazardous situation."
GM is already putting some of these advanced safety systems into its vehicles. For example, a lane departure warning system is available on the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain; a side blind-zone alert is available on the Cadillac Escalade, Buick LaCrosse, GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban. A host of vehicles, including the Equinox and Terrain, offer back-up cameras.
Additional advanced safety systems under development will provide the foundation for autonomous driving including:
"In the coming years, we believe the industry will experience a dramatic leap in active safety systems, and, hopefully, a dramatic decline in injuries and fatalities on our roadways," Taub said. "GM has made a commitment to be at the forefront of this development."
GM has been a leader in developing autonomous vehicle technology, having worked with Carnegie Mellon University to develop the "The Boss" Chevrolet Tahoe that brought autonomous vehicle operation to life in 2007 and won the DARPA Urban Challenge. The event required teams to build a driverless vehicle capable of driving in traffic and performing complex manoeuvres such as merging, passing, parking and negotiating intersections over a 96km course.