Kia hopes to roll out first autonomous tech by 2020

Kia has been hard at work developing what it calls "advanced driver assistance systems," with plans to introduce partially-autonomous driving technologies by 2020, and a fully-autonomous car by 2030.

The automaker is investing US$2 billion by 2018 as it develops its new advanced driver assistance system technologies, including predictive computing systems, it plans to introduce to its model lineup by 2020.

"Fully-autonomous vehicles are still some way off, and a great deal of research and rigorous product testing will need to be carried out to make the 'self-driving car' a reality," Tae-Won Lim, vice-president of the Central Advanced Research and Engineering Institute of Hyundai Motor Group, said in a statement.

"Kia is still in the early stages of developing its own technologies, and we are confident that the latest innovations—both partially and fully autonomous—will ultimately make driving safer for everyone."

Some of the technology principles Kia is working on include:

Recognition: The development of new sensors to detect other vehicles and hazards, read the road ahead and identify poor driving conditions

Judgment: Advanced computing systems allowing the car to make decisions based on the information gathered by sensors

Control: Active electronic and mechanical systems allowing the vehicle to carry out the decisions taken by the autonomous technology in any given situation

These technologies will help Kia work its way toward implementing systems like Highway Driving Assist (HDA), which combines lane keep assist and intelligent cruise control to automatically maintain a safe distance from cars ahead while keeping the car in its lane and adhering to the designated speed limits using the navigation system.

The system will also assist in safely overtaking other cars on the motorway, according to Kia.

A Traffic Jam Assist system will will work by tracking the vehicle in front during moderate to highly congested traffic conditions, helping maintain a safe distance from the car in front and keep the vehicle within its lane.

Kia is also working on a Remote Advanced Parking Assist System that will allow vehicles to park themselves when the driver presses the smart key button while within a certain range of the car.

All of these technologies will also help Kia build toward its goal of introducing its first fully-autonomous vehicle by 2030.