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http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000137056230/

This will totally give new meaning to the term auto-pilot: GM will be launching a vehicle with an actual self-driving system in its 2008 Opel Vectra. That’s right — think KITT, people, but without the smarmy voice (well, we assume, anyway). It will be able to pilot itself even in heavy traffic at up to 60 mph, which is more than we can say for most of our friends, really. It’ll be using lasers, a video camera and a sophisticated computer brain to recognize signs and detect obstacles. Let’s hope the OS it uses is, um, extremely stable

http://autoblog.com/entry/1234000677056081/
Welcome to the future! Well, it’s almost here…in a couple of years, GM will be launching a self-driving system on the 2008 Opel Vectra. Known as the Traffic Assist, the system is said to be able to drive the car on its own in heavy traffic at up to 60 mph. Using lasers, video camera and controlled by an advanced computer, the system can recognize signs and detect obstacles, controls the car via a complete drive-by-wire set up that covers throttle, steering and braking. While we’ve seen various manufacturers putting bits and pieces of these technologies on their cars, this would be the first example that combines them all and enabling your car to truly “think” for itself. A bit scary, if you think about it…I sure hope the computer doesn’t run on Windows OS and requiring frequent reboots, especially at 60 mph. I think I’d prefer to do what Will Smith did in iRobot – deactivate the computer and take the wheel. But that’s just me.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=107011
RUSSELSHEIM, Germany — General Motors is preparing to launch a revolutionary self-driving system on the 2008 Opel Vectra.

The car will be capable of piloting itself at speeds up to 60 mph in heavy traffic without any input from the driver sitting behind the steering wheel.

GM claims the system, called Traffic Assist, will make driving safer and more relaxing. It uses lasers, a video camera and plenty of computing power to "see" signs, bends, other vehicles and lane markings, and to control the engine, steering and brakes to keep the car in the correct position on the road and maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front.

The system is to become available on more models by the end of the decade — initially other cars on the Epsilon platform, including the next Saab 9-3, Cadillac BLS and Saturn Aura. Whether it will be launched in the U.S. will depend on whether administrators deem it safe — product liability laws are different in America.

GM expects the package to be about 50-percent more expensive than conventional active cruise control radar equipment, which controls distances but cannot steer the car.

What this means to you: No, it's not April Fool's Day; GM really has developed a self-driving system. Great for traffic jams, but we're not sure about a car driving itself at 60 mph!

 
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I can see it being nice to not have to drive in traffic jams in the morning but other then that it is wasted funds

 
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yeah, you could sleep on the way to work

 
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Less traffic jams probably means less reason for road rage to take you over and cause serious $$ damage. Less stop & go means less polution. It will maybe dictate a definitive maturation in the heads of consumers : sportiness and utility are forever separated into track car and daily driver, thus better cars in each respect will eventually emerge. Picture an affordable version of a trunk-less ferrari-class automobile so track ready it makes you weep. Just don't call it daily driver :P

There are many facettes to this development, and I think it's pretty major to be able to enjoy being driven around town, a privilege currently enjoyed by those who can afford a driver and a limo... (or a wife haha)

 
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hmmmm...
thats gonna be tight..... and expensive =(

 
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i think that's nice, then when they reach the destination, they can wake up you like turn the a/c to cold on full blast.

 
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can't wait to see how many accidents occur.

 
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its called sleep while u commute by your self...lol awesome

 
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Handling every day ordinary traffic, especially straight-forward highway drivng, sure, fine. But what I'm most curious abut is how the system will handle city-driving and all the hundreds of random unexpected things. Being able to dodge a jay-walker on an icey road while simultaniously avoiding cars,trucks, buses...etc and attempting not to violate any traffic laws based on all the thousands of signs posted. Even if somehow it can handle this immense level of computing power needed, it still has to be very very fail-proof and out-perform a human with regards making decisions, expecting the unexpected, improvising... will it honk for me when I want it to? lol.

 
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lets face it, humans aren't the best drivers for the most part. Sometimes I wonder how many of them might actually be retarded because of the stupid things they do.