The battle between car makers developing autonomous models – which involves pretty much all of them – is reaching a fever pitch. That is why they are quick to bast about the small steps they make in their quest to become a leader in this segment. And that is the case with Renault’s new Autonomous Obstacle Avoidance technology. 

Of course, this is not something new. Every autonomous car has to avoid obstacles or it wouldn’t be an autonomous car. Still, Renault maintains their Autonomous Obstacle Avoidance tech is so finely tuned that it rivals the best professional test drivers.That means their system will be more reliable, and safer, in tricky driving situations where quick reaction and skilled handling is called for.

Complementing Renault’s existing achievements in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), the Autonomous Obstacle Avoidance system is another step towards achieving what they refer to as “Mind Off” driving which is what Renault calls fully autonomous driving. If you want to switch off your mind behind the will and trust the vehicle to take you places safely, you need to be sure that it can deal with tricky, unexpected situation that arise on the road. Will AI and fancy tech stuff be a flawless match for human intuition and intellect? We shall find out in a few years when these cars go mainstream.

“At Groupe Renault, we are focused on being an innovation leader in products, technology and design,” said Simon Hougard, Director of Renault Open Innovation Lab – Silicon Valley. “Our innovation efforts aim to develop advanced autonomous driving technologies that consumers can trust will create a safer, more comfortable journey.”