From ‘hands-free’ to ‘eyes-off’: how General Motors is simulating its way to autonomous driving

Warren, Michigan (AP) — At General Motors' Global Technical Center in suburban Detroit, a significant number of volunteer drivers have had the opportunity to experience various scenarios while sitting behind the wheel of a Cadillac Lyriq electric vehicle or other popular GM models. This includes regular highway driving, navigating hills, encountering construction, driving in rain, and dealing with nearby traffic.

The drivers are not in a traditional car, but rather inside a simulator that provides a 360-degree immersive experience. In this environment, every movement of their eyes, their heart rate, and even their sweat are monitored and compared to numerous driving tests. The purpose of this simulation is to evaluate the human driver's response alongside the vehicle's technology.

This method is used by GM and other automakers to test future iterations of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). ADAS allows for features such as automatic emergency braking, blind spot warnings, lane departure warnings, lane-centering assist, surround-view cameras, and driver attention monitors. These features enable "hands-free" driving, particularly on highways.

Automakers are aiming to eventually allow drivers to safely take their hands off the wheel and their eyes off the road. The transition to this "eyes-off" driving phase is seen as a major turning point, as it could persuade consumers to pay for these features, as they would then have more free time while the vehicle handles the driving.

Sam Abuelsamid, vice president of market research at Telemetry, explains that "going eyes off is really the turning point where consumers will be more willing to pay for this feature." GM expects to launch this capability by 2028 on the Cadillac Escalade IQ luxury electric sport utility vehicle. Competitors are also working towards this goal, with the promise of a wider variety of roads being supported by the systems.