Real life is fast catching up with the movies when it comes to automotive technology. Not only have Mercedes put night vision into the new S class (that’s another story) but Honda have launched a car that really can autopilot!

The ‘06 model Accord will offer the option of a new safety system: LKAS (Lane Keeping Auto Assist). LKAS is designed to handle the specific case of drivers falling asleep at the wheel. It detects whether you’re gripping the steering wheel and if you let go for a few seconds it kicks in to actually steer for you! It uses a camera mounted on the dash to get an image of the road ahead and then does some pretty swish image processing to figure out what lane you’re in and what it needs to do to keep you there.

Honda already have a cruise control system that uses radar to keep you a safe distance from the car in front. Linking this in with the new LKAS system provides a complete package that should (hopefully) keep you out of trouble.

I so want a go in one of these!

Details and writeup courtesy of the review on Channel4.com