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Steered Only by Eyesight, 'Spirit of Berlin' Minivan Is Slightly Terrifying

by Caleb Johnson on April 25, 2010 at 04:30 PM

According to an Associated Press report on NPR, German researchers have created a hands-free driving technology that allows drivers to steer a vehicle with their eyes. It's called eyeDriver, and yes, we're scared to death that this technology might one day hit city streets.

Raul Rojas and his team from Berlin's Free University recently demonstrated the vehicle, dubbed the 'Spirit of Berlin,' which also has a fully-autonomous mode, on an old airport tarmac. Riding in a Dodge Caravan, the driver wore a bicycle helmet that's equipped with two cameras -- one monitors the surroundings, and one monitors the person's eyes. It sounds simple enough. Look left, and the car will turn left. Look right, and the car will turn right. The driver can even back-up by looking into the rearview mirror. The driver can navigate the car up to speeds of 31-mph, while dodging pedestrians and other potential hazards.

But what happens if you glance at a passing stranger or look down at a cell phone? Those are some of the questions that Rojas and his team will have to answer as they work to bring this technology to a car lot near you. "Autonomous driving systems may considerably change our mobility in the future," Rojas told the AP. Let's just hope it changes for better, and not worse. [From: AP/NPR]

Tags: autonomous, berlin, car, cartech, dodge, driving, research, spirit of berlin, SpiritOfBerlin, top, transportation, vehicle

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