Self-Driving Retrofit

A Silicon Valley startup has developed a device that can turn any car into a driverless vehicle for about $10,000. Called Cruise RP-1, the system will initially be available for Audi A4 or S4, however, the company intends to quickly expand their product offering to other makes and models.

A control panel installed near the console enables the driver to engage or disengage the system at the touch of a button. The sensor pod, mounted on the roof of the car, contains a combination of cameras, sensors and radar – data from which is fed into a CPU located in the trunk. The computer continuously monitors the road and surrounding vehicles, and operates a series of actuators installed behind the pedals and on the steering column to control speed, steering and braking. Although mainly designed for highway driving to ensure that your vehicle stays in its lane at a safe distance from the car in front of you, RP-1 can also navigate through stop-and-go traffic and bring the car to a full stop if necessary.

The first fifty systems are expected to be available for installation in 2015 and as you might guess, the price will drop quickly as competition enters the market.