Journalists Tried and Failed To Crash ActiveAssist BMW At CES 2015

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has been an opportunity for automakers to showcase the latest vehicle technology. From Ford, Audi, BMW and Mercedes there was a chance to display their latest autonomous vehicle innovations. We reported preciously that Mercedes-Benz unveiled a news self-driving concept car. The vehicle looks the part of a “Minority Report” vehicle with rotating seats and six touch screens. The concept isn’t even expected to go into production in any form before 2030.

Also showing off their self-driving technology was Audi. The A7 prototype traveled from California to Las Vegas, mostly via self-driving mode. Journalists and Audi representatives took turns “driving” the vehicle. The autonomous vehicle can travel up to 70 miles per hour in self-driving mode, however it can’t handle dense traffic. When its time to turn the controls back over to a human, the vehicle makes a series of noises and beeps to indicate the need for the change. If the human driver doesn’t take control, the Audi has the ability to pull itself over.

Ford also took the opportunity at CES to discuss self-driving technology. In a CES speech, Ford CEO Mark Fields said, “Our priority is not in making marketing claims or being in a race for the first autonomous car on the road.” Ford already has features such as parking assist in some of their vehicles. Lane assist and adaptive cruise control are reportedly on their way for upcoming models. Ford is also currently testing their self-driving technology on public roads.

Finally, BMW displayed their ActiveAssist Technology at CES. Wayne Cunningham of CNET was given the opportunity to test-drive the BMW i3 with the autonomous technology in place. The vehicle can be summoned from a parking lot via smart watch. Cunningham drove the vehicle in the CES parking garage and tried to run it into things, only to have the vehicle stop him from getting into an accident. It overruled his driving to prevent collisions.

Clearly, top automakers are putting time and money into self-driving technology. Do you think consumers want autonomous vehicles? Would you want a vehicle that you can summon via smart watch?