Trimble and GM exceed 34 million miles in hands-free-driving

More than 34 million miles have been driven with Super Cruise engaged on General Motors vehicles. (Photo: GM)

General Motors and Trimble have reached more than 34 million miles of hands-free driving with Super Cruise engaged on General Motors vehicles.

GM teamed with Trimble to develop a reliable way to maintain in-lane positioning for hands-free driving, putting safety top-of-mind.

Trimble’s precise GPS technology enables a vehicle to maintain its lane position in a variety of environments, including inclement weather conditions (rain, snow, fog and more), which often challenges other sensors. GM’s Super Cruise, a hands-free driver assistance system, uses Trimble RTX (Real-Time eXtended) technology to deliver high-GNSS accuracy corrections since it introduced the technology in 2017 on the model year 2018 Cadillac CT6.

“Trimble RTX has been in commercial use for more than 10 years, and in 2018 was the first precise point positioning correction service to log miles in a commercial autonomous driving system,” said Patricia Boothe, senior vice president of Autonomy, Trimble. “It works with Super Cruise to help a vehicle maintain its lane position, bringing more consumers access to a more enjoyable and convenient driving experience.”

Standard GPS receivers can have a margin of error of up to 25 feet, which is not suitable for vehicles that require precise absolute position information to maintain lane-level positioning. Trimble’s RTX technology removes errors in GNSS satellite data broadcasts to improve location accuracy on our roadways.

“Super Cruise is a life-changing technology, allowing customers to experience hands-free driving on compatible, mapped roads nationwide,” said Mario Maiorana, GM chief engineer, Super Cruise. “The technology is a collaborative effort internally and externally to bring this advanced driver assistance technology to life. Trimble Autonomy has been a valuable collaborator in bringing Super Cruise to our customers.”