GPS World

Tag: hands-free driving

  • Trimble and GM exceed 34 million miles in hands-free-driving

    Trimble and GM exceed 34 million miles in hands-free-driving

    More than 34 million miles have been driven with Super Cruise engaged on General Motors vehicles. (Photo: GM)
    More than 34 million miles have been driven with Super Cruise engaged on General Motors vehicles. (Photo: GM)

    General Motors and Trimble have reached more than 34 million miles of hands-free driving with Super Cruise engaged on General Motors vehicles.

    GM teamed with Trimble to develop a reliable way to maintain in-lane positioning for hands-free driving, putting safety top-of-mind.

    Trimble’s precise GPS technology enables a vehicle to maintain its lane position in a variety of environments, including inclement weather conditions (rain, snow, fog and more), which often challenges other sensors. GM’s Super Cruise, a hands-free driver assistance system, uses Trimble RTX (Real-Time eXtended) technology to deliver high-GNSS accuracy corrections since it introduced the technology in 2017 on the model year 2018 Cadillac CT6.

    “Trimble RTX has been in commercial use for more than 10 years, and in 2018 was the first precise point positioning correction service to log miles in a commercial autonomous driving system,” said Patricia Boothe, senior vice president of Autonomy, Trimble. “It works with Super Cruise to help a vehicle maintain its lane position, bringing more consumers access to a more enjoyable and convenient driving experience.”

    Standard GPS receivers can have a margin of error of up to 25 feet, which is not suitable for vehicles that require precise absolute position information to maintain lane-level positioning. Trimble’s RTX technology removes errors in GNSS satellite data broadcasts to improve location accuracy on our roadways.

    “Super Cruise is a life-changing technology, allowing customers to experience hands-free driving on compatible, mapped roads nationwide,” said Mario Maiorana, GM chief engineer, Super Cruise. “The technology is a collaborative effort internally and externally to bring this advanced driver assistance technology to life. Trimble Autonomy has been a valuable collaborator in bringing Super Cruise to our customers.”

  • Trimble’s GNSS positioning guides GM’s hands-free Super Cruise

    General Motors (GM) is using Trimble RTX (real-time eXtended) technology as the high-accuracy GNSS/GPS correction source to deliver absolute positioning to vehicles equipped with GM’s Super Cruise hands-free highway driving system, now available on the 2018 Cadillac CT6.

    GM customers using Super Cruise featuring Trimble RTX technology can have peace of mind on the road knowing that RTX plays an important role in maintaining lane position for hands-free driving on divided highways.

    https://youtu.be/_rxW68ADldI

    Super Cruise also uses precision lidar mapping data, a state-of-the-art driver attention system, and a network of camera and radar sensors.

    Trimble RTX technology provides real-time, multi-constellation GNSS positioning capable of achieving better than 1.5 inches accuracy. Standard GPS signals can drift up to 25 feet, which could cause incorrect lane identification.

    The 2018 Cadillac CT6 features Super Cruise hands-free driving technology for the highway. (Photo: GM)

    Lane-level accuracy is a critical enabler in advanced driver assistance systems increasingly being used on highways. When used in conjunction with high-definition maps, cameras, radar and inertial sensors, Trimble RTX improves lane-level positioning performance for semi-autonomous and autonomous vehicles.

    Trimble has a long history of pioneering automation and vehicle autonomy to improve productivity — from providing positioning solutions for some of the earliest robotic applications in the 1990s to delivering automated steering for farm tractors, automated blade control for earthmoving equipment and providing advanced positioning technology for fully autonomous trucks.

    Trimble is now enabling semi-autonomous operations for passenger vehicles with Trimble RTX technology, delivering high-accuracy GNSS corrections via a global network to support absolute vehicle positioning in combination with other sensors and inertial dead-reckoning.

    Trimble’s RTX technology uses signals captured by more than 100 Trimble GNSS reference stations around the globe. Trimble RTX corrects the signals for atmospheric conditions, satellite orbit and time synchronization errors and then sends those signals to GM vehicles with Super Cruise via OnStar 4G LTE cellular.

    The Trimble network is supported by redundant servers that are monitored 24/7 by a team of network engineers and IT specialists ensuring optimal signal performance and reliability for drivers who will depend on it.

    “Through our collaboration, the combined technologies of GM and Trimble will transform the way the world drives,” said Patricia Boothe, vice president of Trimble’s Advanced Positioning Division. “Trimble RTX is now influencing how we interact with our vehicles and the environment around them — helping to minimize driver fatigue and improve the assisted driving experience.”