A European transportation project is taking cruise control to its logical conclusion. The idea: cars line up in a single-file caravan led by a professional who steers for everyone. Drivers can chill out for the ride, and leave the line whenever they want.
The "Safe Road Trains for the Environment" project, or SARTRE for short, is funded by the European Commission and has support from a bunch of companies, including Volvo. The thinking goes that if cars are led automatically by a pro, it will improve traffic flow, reduce travel time, save fuel, and lower stress.
Participating cars would be equipped with a transmitter-receiver unit and a navigation system that allows them to join a train of cars or "platoon." The system allows the person driving the lead vehicle to control six to eight vehicles behind it, taking over steering, acceleration, and braking. A car in the platoon that gets close to its exit or stop can regain control and break off from the group.
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Vehicles in a platoon are positioned close to each other, reducing drag and using the roadways more effectively. While some independent drivers hug other cars' bumpers already -- Bostonians, I'm looking at you -- driving faster negates those gains. I'm actually surprised that this is a European innovation since retaining personal space, maximizing laziness, and reducing drive-time seem like attributes of an American transportation project. Meanwhile, Americans are developing pod cars that require dedicated tracks.
So far the project has done some realistic simulations at the technology corporation Tecnalia in Bilbao, Spain, to see how drivers react (video) when they're in the platoon and driving near one. This month the project is working on a two-car train. Over the next two years, the goal will be to conduct a real demonstration with a convoy of five cars. Researchers are also working on what could go wrong with "platooning," like an accident.
The idea of kicking back in one's own vehicle without having to deal with white-knuckled highway maneuvering is undeniably tempting. I like that the technology wouldn't require a new, expensive infrastructure, and that it could potentially work with different kinds of vehicles.
It cracks me up that the acronym is SARTRE, though. I can just imagine all the "no exit" jokes now. Then again, perhaps the existential philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre would have appreciated this. The project's motto could easily be, "SARTRE: because hell is other people...on crowded public transit."
Image: Screenshot from an animated demonstration of the European car-train project. Credit: SARTRE.
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