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MIT researchers develop an "intelligent co-pilot" for cars

A new semiautonomous driver system developed by Sterling Anderson, a PhD student in MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Karl Iagnemma, a principal research scientist in MIT's Robotic Mobility Group, can take the wheel to keep drivers safe.

The system uses an onboard camera and laser rangefinder to identify hazards in a vehicle’s environment. The team devised an algorithm to analyze the data and identify safe zones — avoiding, for example, barrels in a field, or other cars on a roadway. The system allows a driver to control the vehicle, only taking the wheel when the driver is about to exit a safe zone.

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Video: Lucy Lindsey/Melanie Gonick, MIT News; additional videos and animations courtesy of MIT's Robotic Mobility Group

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