LAS VEGAS - Autonomous vehicle technology advanced again this year at CES. This year, chip developer Qualcomm unveiled its new Snapdragon Ride platform. Qualcomm's Snapdragon Ride is a car-based computer system that can equip vehicles with autonomy ranging from Level 1 (assisted parking) to Level 5 (no human driving). Qualcomm is currently working with nearly all major automakers to equip consumer vehicles with these systems within the next few years.

To learn more about how Snapdragon Ride works, I met with Qualcomm at CES 2020. After Qualcomm explained the technology to me, I was able to experience a hands-on demonstration of how this system actually works. We got into a Lincoln MKZ sedan modified by Qualcomm and drove on the highway for about 20 minutes. From entering, merging, changing lanes, adjusting speed, and exiting again, the Snapdragon Ride proved its capabilities as a highway driver.

To understand how Snapdragon Ride works, Qualcomm walked us through its components step-by-step. The system requires dozens of data inputs, which makes sense considering how many variables there are on a busy highway; Snapdragon Ride uses the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), Controller Area Network (CAN), and similar systems.

The system then combines these numbers with data collected directly from the vehicle. Our MKZ was equipped with eight cameras and six radars in key locations, including the hood, trunk, side mirrors, and roof; Snapdragon Ride downloaded an HD map of the route and used the collected data to plan the car's trajectory, lat/lon position, steering, Using Snapdragon Ride's powerful processor, the system is able to predict what other cars on the road will do in the near future by mapping the trajectories of all cars within range of its cameras.

This is a complex and data-intensive process, but in theory, Snapdragon Ride considers all the same variables as a human driver. The only thing missing is human intuition, which we soon learned firsthand.

The Snapdragon Ride could theoretically handle autonomous driving in urban areas, but that was not the case in the company's CES demo. On the first leg of the trip from the Delano Hotel to the I-15 South Highway entrance ramp, a human driver drove instead. Once there, he handed over control to the Snapdragon Ride, a complex structure consisting of circuits and ports in the trunk.

The ride began with a merge, where the Snapdragon Ride had to observe other cars in the surrounding lanes and decide where it wanted to be. If left alone, Snapdragon Ride would accelerate to the maximum speed limit for the area and stay there as long as possible. Therefore, my ride began with aggressive acceleration. It wasn't smooth, but it got me well ahead of the other cars on the entry road, giving me the opportunity to merge safely.

Qualcomm did not allow the press to take pictures inside the car, but I can describe what I saw. There was a tablet mounted on the center console that allowed me to see what the car's camera saw. As other cars passed us, the camera placed green boxes around them. This way we could track the speed and trajectory of each car. Lane boundaries were indicated by white lines. Another display showed the position of the car on the road, with the car in front marked in purple to help determine a safe maximum speed.

Our journey began on I-15 and the Snap Dragon Ride went down several miles until we reached the entrance to I-215 West. During this time, the vehicle made lane changes and automatically used its blinkers each time. Qualcomm explained that this was part of their safety protocol, but the driver had to manually authorize each lane change. Other automakers allow the Snapdragon Ride to change lanes whenever it deems it safe to do so.

I'm not going to describe every leg of our trip, but the car generally did everything right. (It merged onto I-215, returned control to the driver as we entered the exit ramp, and then took over control again as we merged onto I-215 East. The car accelerated (forcefully) on the new freeway, braked as it rounded curves, and merged every time it needed to get out of the exit lane; Snapdragon Ride can also change lanes if the car directly ahead is going too slow, but I did not encounter this in the middle of a weekday in Las Vegas with little traffic! ...

While part of me was thrilled that the Snapdragon Ride was able to safely navigate the two freeways, another part of me couldn't help but notice that the experience was not as smooth as a competent human driver behind the wheel. The car always accelerated much faster and more aggressively than a normal human, and the brakes were sometimes just as abrupt.

The bigger problem, however, was that the snap-dragon ride did not change lanes at the right time. The system is (wisely) cautious and requires a lot of lead time to recommend a lane change. So, at times it took a couple of minutes to wait for the car to merge to the left. However, once in the left lane, they had to merge to the right again to get onto the exit ramp. Snapdragon does not "understand" which lane is advantageous to be in; it just "knows" that it should be in the center lane for most of the trip and in the right lane at the exit. This is an inefficient and potentially dangerous way to drive.

Thus, I wonder how this system would work in bumper-to-bumper traffic (which is absolutely possible on highways, especially near large cities). In such situations, you often have to clear the way yourself and negotiate with other drivers in a momentary merge or concession that requires no words. In such situations, I feel that the snap-dragon ride may not be willing to engage in "unsafe" maneuvers and may just be trapped in the wrong lane for a long time.

On the other hand, as the car I drove demonstrated, there is no reason why Snapdragon Ride should have 100% control over every movement of the car. The system can be implemented as simple as cruise control or as complex as a complete driverless experience.

Qualcomm plans to make this technology available to automakers in the first half of 2020. Therefore, consumer cars with this technology integrated could be available as early as 2023. It remains to be seen which companies will use this technology and in what form, but since GM is one of Qualcomm's larger partners, it is certainly possible that something will be announced from that manufacturer.

Be sure to check out our CES 2020 hub for the latest news and hands-on impressions from Las Vegas.