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Alabama DOT, University Partnership to Pave the Way for AVs
The next evolution of driving is coming to Tuscaloosa, Ala. In a partnership with the Alabama Department of Transportation, the University of Alabama is funding the installation of technology that will, ultimately, pave the way for automated driving.
Bharat Balasubramanian, executive director of The University of Alabama’s Center for Advanced Vehicle Technologies and a former head of research and development for the German automotive corporation Daimler AG, said it could be two to four more decades before drivers can relinquish the steering wheel. But Balasubramanian and his team at Daimler, which owns Mercedes-Benz, ushered in technologies already in use today, such as adaptive cruise control and blind spot assistance during his 34 years with the company. Those systems, paired with the devices being installed at major intersections across Tuscaloosa and Northport, will one day lead to a whole new driving experience.