Robotic Road Trains Electronically Link Cars Together

The European Union’s Safe Road Trains for the Environment (Sartre) is moving from concept to a reality in a move that will probably bring a smile to motorists who aren’t fond of driving. This design aims to link cars headed in the same direction into a semi-autonomous “road train”, a platoon of cars that are electronically tethered to follow closely behind a professionally driven lead vehicle, probably a bus. Satre is planning to have a real-world test of this system with a single following car by the end of 2010 and if this means that we can fiddle with our iPad while “driving” to work every morning, it does seem rather attractive. The development is ongoing and will continue until 2012, with a five-car road train envisioned as the final project goal. Video after the jump.