In just two years GM will be releasing vehicles for sale with automated driving technology that would allow the vehicle to drive itself on the highway. New information could shed some light on exactly how this technology will work. 

The news came from CEO Mary Barra when speaking with the Intelligent Transport Society on Sunday.

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She explained the automated driving technology, called  "Super Cruise" by the company, allows the user to drive completely hands-free on highways whether you're traveling at high speeds or going through bumper-to-bumper traffic.

"The technology lets the driver take a break from the wheel and pedals and let the car do the work," Mary Barra said.

The way it works is by a 360-degree system that uses radar or lasers in an effort to detect the distance between vehicles and any other obstacles. The radar or lasers allows the vehicle to maintain a specific speed, increase and decrease speed, and even a complete stop without the driver needing to use the steering wheel or pedals.

In addition, other sensors will be implemented to spot lane markers on the road, which sends consistent information to the car's electric power steering and allows the vehicle to remain in its lane on the highway.

GPS technology would also be utilized to allow the vehicle to follow speed limits, as well as keeping the system up to date with different challenges on the road one might come across like curves, hills and dips.

The driver would still most likely need to keep their eyes on the road in case of an emergency situation were to occur. That's why GM also announced a system that tracks a driver's eyes ensuring the driver is paying attention while the super cruise technology is in effect.

Although GM's plans may not be as intriguing as Google's futuristic fully self-driving car (which is pretty much a smart car that goes only 25 miles per hour), they're much more practical and has a much better chance of making it through strict regulations.  

TagsGM, Automated Driving Technology, Mary Barra, Super Cruise, Intelligent Transport Society, Self-Driving Car, vehicles