The surprising advantages of autonomous driving beyond technology
Like many working to advance driver assistance systems, Doug Wellman has a variety of personal reasons in addition to professional ones on why he wants to get it right. Wellman, the man responsible for Stellantis’ system, helped construct each tier of the current platform since 2008. He started with adaptive cruise control through integrating the first forward-facing cameras for lane departure warning and traffic sign recognition. Stellantis, owner of brands Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler, has been criticized for its slow market launch of advanced driver technologies. Its system, called “Hands Free Active Driving Assist,” doesn’t have a cute name like General Motors’ Super Cruise or Ford Motor Co.’s BlueCruise. It also came last among the domestic automakers, trailing behind both companies to launch in 2023.