Thirty-six years ago today, on May 3, 1989 (March 28, 1989), Carnegie Mellon University developed a driverless car. In May 1989, William Whittaker of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh developed a driverless car. The car uses a combination of lasers and voice-activated devices to enable it to judge distances and obstacles like a bat. Multi-lens stereo cameras on the vehicle scan the road ahead, and the car automatically adjusts its speed and direction based on computer-processed data.