CA-based startup developing self-driving Audi A4

An ambitious California-based start-up named Cruise Automation has announced it is in the final stages of developing an autonomous highway driving system called RP-1.

Cruise’s RP-1 is far less advanced than the self-driving technology that Google has spent years developing. Relying on the company’s own maps, the system is centered around a roof-mounted sensor pod that uses lasers, cameras and sensors to scope out the road ahead and send data to a computer mounted in the trunk. The computer evaluates the data and automatically adjusts the steering, the throttle and the brakes in order to keep the car in its lane.

The RP-1 has its fair share of limitations. It can’t change lanes, it can’t maneuver around traffic and it doesn’t work in the rain, in dense fog or in the dark. 

“You can think of it more as fancy cruise control. Some people don’t even trust cruise control, so I’d like to think of it as what cruise control should have been in the first place,” explained company founder Kyle Vogt.

Additionally, RP-1 only works on major freeways and highways in California and it can only be installed on Audi A4s and S4s manufactured after 2012. Cruise is designing an evolution of the RP-1 capable of working with other models but the company has not announced when it will be launched or what cars it will be compatible with.

Cruise expects to introduce the RP-1 early next year with a base price of $10,000. The company’s small size enables it to beat major automakers like Nissan and General Motors to the self-driving market.

“Car companies tend to be a lot more cautious in rolling out new technologies because potential problems that can lead to recalls puts their brand at substantial risk,” explained Vogt. “Being a start-up, we operate much leaner and can move faster because we can take a more straightforward approach in protecting ourselves against any liability.”