Nagoya-based firm develops tech to let autonomous cars know if driver is holding the wheel

Sumitomo Riko Co., a Nagoya-based auto parts maker, has developed a system that can determine whether a driver is holding the steering wheel, a piece of technology that could prove to be indispensable for semi-automated cars. The firm aims to start commercial production of the system -- designed to enable drivers to switch from autonomous driving to manual control safely in case of emergencies -- in the 2020 business year. The so-called Smart Rubber sensor, made of anti-vibration electrically conductive rubber material, can determine which part of the steering wheel a driver is holding by detecting a change of pressure. The auto industry is currently engaged in fierce competition to develop technology to achieve conditional automation -- Level 3 on the Society of Automotive Engineers International's scale to 5. In Level 3, cars are self-driving but a human driver must take over the wheel in emergency situations or if the system requests that the driver intervene. But self-driving mode will not be turned off unless the system determines that the driver is ready to take the wheel to avoid an accident.