Almost every automaker is researching how to make a self-driving car. Ford is one of them. They just announced a partnership with MIT and Stanford University to help them compete with the rest of the world.

"Working with university partners like MIT and Stanford enables us to address some of the longer-term challenges surrounding automated driving while exploring more near-term solutions for delivering an even safer and more efficient driving experience,” said Paul Mascarenas, chief technical officer and vice president of Ford Research and Innovation, in a statement.

Last year, we got to see some of Ford's initial plans for self-driving cars, in a presentation that highlighted the capabilities of a LIDAR-enabled Ford Fusion Hybrid research vehicle.

Part of the company’s "Blueprint for Mobility," which lays out a roadmap for the future of driving beyond 2025, can be seen in the video below:



The self-driving car's systems will scan the terrain ahead at 2.5 million times per second with a range of up to 200 feet in all directions. It will give the vehicle a 3D map of the road ahead in real time so that the car can assess the upcoming terrain by peering around other vehicles and obstacles.

In 2012, MIT unveiled a semi-autonomous driver system that takes over the driving duties from a human during dangerous travel situations. Something Ford could really need in their self-driving car systems. Check it out below:



The system uses a laser range finder and an on-board camera to map the terrain. MIT's efforts could ramp up Ford's long-range plans for self-driving cars as well.

How do you feel about self-driving cars?