Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Volkswagen Developing In-Car Robot

Drivers may soon have a new navigational system that is even more advanced than GPS. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has teamed up with Volkswagen to create AIDA (Affective Intelligent Driving Agent), a robot device will be mounted on the dashboard and will synthesize information to help motorists avoid running out of gas, navigate around traffic jams, and plan their travel routes.

AIDA will not control the car, but it will be able to suggest alternate routes when there is a traffic jam or remind you to fill up on gas when your tank is running glow. It will also reportedly help “achieve more energy efficient and safer behavior.” AIDA analyses the driver’s patterns and keeps track of favorite routes and destinations like home or work.

A release date for AIDA has yet to be announced. At least one other car company is working on developing a similar product.

Volkswagen, MIT Develop In-Car Robot, US News & World Reports, November 2, 2009
AIDA: It’s more than an opera, Los Angeles Times, October 29, 2009
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