European based Cybercars2 project aims to develop autonomous vehicle capabilities one step further, by adding communication systems between individual vehicles, which may enable a much more efficient transportation system. By exchanging data, vehicles will be able to coordinate their movements.

The project team first created software that would simulate all the possible scenarios that vehicles would encounter upon interacting with each other. Of course as a safety measure, the system is being designed to handle the loss of communication possibility.

Autonomous driving has come a long way in recent years. Think about the US based DARPA grand challenge. From being unable to complete a few miles of road in an empty desert just a few years ago, in the last competition the vehicles were able to navigate empty city streets at the same time obeying traffic signs and lights.

Reference: sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824204832.htm