Researchers at Oxford University are working on technology that would let you ride in a self-driving car that’s partially controlled by an iPad. According to a report in Clean Technica, the RobotCar UK project is headed up by Professor Paul Newman of Oxford University’s Department of Engineering Science.

The computer-controlled system uses sensors on the outside of a Nissan Leaf to generate a detailed picture of the car’s surroundings. An iPad sits in the dashboard and is the control panel that lets the user interact with the system. With just a few taps, the driver can turn auto-drive on and off.

The research team is still in the early stages of testing the self-driving system. It’ll take some time for the technology to improve and for the cost to drop from its prototype price of £5,000 down to a consumer friendly £100.

You can check out a video of the car in action below and let us know what you think in the comments. Would you ride in iPad-controlled self-driving car?

[Via AppleInsider and Clean Technica]

iPad navigates self-driving car originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 01 Mar 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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