Cadillac is working on updates to its Super Cruise autonomous driving system, Cadillac Society has exclusively learned.
The luxury automaker is currently testing a more advanced version of the Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system, as witnessed by two units of the Cadillac CT6 sedan driving around the Metro Detroit area. In both prototypes, the driver was asleep behind the wheel when the CT6 proceeded to exit the interstate. In fact, we would describe the first sighting as the driver being in deep, REM-stage sleep, with the mouth open and eyes completely shut. In both cases, the drivers had their hands off the steering wheel and the vehicle didn’t feature any visible hardware differences.
Super Cruise in action on Cadillac CT6
The fact that the drivers of both vehicles were asleep and had their hands off the wheel is particularly noteworthy, since the current iteration of Super Cruise, itself a Level 2 autonomous driving system billed by Cadillac as a “true hands-free driver assistance feature for the freeway,” requires driver attention and does not permit either of the aforementioned behaviors.
We’ve heard whispers of Cadillac working on a more advanced version of Super Cruise. In September 2018, Cadillac’s parent company, General Motors, filed to trademark “Ultra Cruise” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The trademark filing states that the name will be used in conjunction with “computer software, cameras, ultrasonic sensors, global positioning system and radar object detectors for the semi-autonomous driving of motor vehicles.”
Upcoming Cadillac CT5 will gain Super Cruise later on in the 2020 model year
Hence, the only logical conclusion that we can come to at the moment is that a more advanced version of Super Cruise is in the works. The system might be called Ultra Cruise, as per the trademark filing, and will likely have Level 3 autonomous driving features.
Recent 70,000-mile expansion recently announced for Super Cruise
For its part, Super Cruise will soon become available on more than 200,000 miles of limited-access freeways in the U.S. and Canada, up from 130,000 miles that it launched with thanks to a recently-announced 70,000-mile expansion. What’s more, availability of the system will soon be expanded beyond the CT6 to other Cadillac models, including the CT5 and CT4.
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Blazinhomie420
Man how you are going to bust the test drivers heads like that lmfao! This seems pretty cool though. I can’t wait till I can get one in my price range with these features
Car Hound
I view the above article comments about sleeping drivers with Extreme Skepticism, taint possible based on my experience.
I have a 2019 CT6 w/Super Cruise (SC). The small pickup monitor above the steering wheel monitors what your eyes are doing. I tested it by having the apparent focus of my eyes of to the side. I was still aware of what was in front of me but the monitor did not like that it could not correctly see that my eyes were focused properly. There was a warning and Super Cruise disengaged.
Another time I was wearing a face mask filter over my nose & mouth when I engaged SC. It initially engaged but very shortly disengaged. While my eyes were visible and focused ahead SC did not like not seeing the rest of my face.
As far as getting on an off ramp SC will disengage immediately.
These 3 situations were repeatedly tested with the same results.
Super Cruise works well in heavy city highway traffic. I’ve had Adaptive Cruise for years in a DTS and was skeptical about the increased value of SC in heavy city work traffic on interstate type of roads. I was wrong. SC lightens the choir of handling such traffic.
In one such area highway construction was set up some temporary lane jogs (marked with white delineation paint) and the CT6 easily corrected for the needed temporary directional adjustments.
SC is a great option it is good to see that it will be available on other
GM models.
Jon
Guys, elementary journalism would have dug up the fact you can’t sleep with Level 3 autonomy. Look up SAE J3016. Driver is required to be awake until Level 4. Please do better, you are misinforming the public. Thanks.