Toyota Brings Self-Driving Cars One Step Closer

It may look ugly now, but the sensor systems on Toyota's "Active Safety Research Vehicle" could be fully integrated into production Toyotas within a few years. Photo credit: Toyota.

Even the most optimistic estimates say that we won't see fully self-driving cars on the market much before 2020. The technological -- and legal -- obstacles that need to be overcome are significant, and working through all of the issues will take time.

But that isn't stopping automakers from bringing more and more pieces of the self-driving systems of the future to market now. This past week, Ford showed off a clever system that will park a car automatically after the driver gets out. Now, as Fool contributor John Rosevear explains in this video, Toyota is showing off its own innovative new system -- in this case, an automated "co-pilot" that could make highway driving faster and safer in just a few years.

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The article Toyota Brings Self-Driving Cars One Step Closer originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor John Rosevear owns shares of Ford. You can connect with him on Twitter at @jrosevear. The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of Ford. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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