News : Driverless cars on the horizon

Driverless cars -- using technology similar to that used for cruise missiles, but more advanced -- are showing firsthand what public transportation could look like in the near future, through the European Union's vehicle program CyberCar.

The emphasis is on navigation, programming and communication which can make anything with an engine and wheels move safely down a desired route.

The cars are automatic but a manual overdrive is also possible by entering a special code into the system. The cars can also be navigated from a mobile phone.

The current CyberCar prototypes, on show at the recent Future Mobility Solutions Conference in Helsinki, look like golf carts and have no suspension but under the hood hides high-tech lasers and Global Positioning System (GPS) units.

The car follows a path programmed by the GPS using a touchscreen and laser is used to avoid crashes. There are some similarities with the technology involved in constructing cruise missiles although the companies developing the cars have had no access to military technology.

The touch-screen operated computer system is responsible for the requested journey, while an automated voice is giving information to the passengers.

Driverless CyberCars are already in operation at London's Heathrow airport, but it will take several years before the cars will be seen driving around towns.

But the current economical downturn could speed-up projects like this as in the long run they offer lower costs and an environmental friendly solution to urban transport problems.

Vantaa, just outside the Finnish capital Helsinki, is currently building up a new eco-friendly district for 30,000 people. The plan is to implement the latest technology wherever possible and the CyberCar idea fits perfectly.

Cities and companies willing to participate in the EU CyberCar program need to finance a certain amount of the total costs.

Gilbert Koskela who is the CyberCar project manager in Vantaa City said that apart from the environmental benefits, the driver-less car would make the streets safer as there would be less human factors involved.

(SOUNDBITE)(English) RESEARCHER LAURENT BOURAOUI: