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JEDDAH: Nasser Mansour Al-Khaldi is the researcher and automotive expert behind the Saudi-made version of an innovative artificial intelligence self-driving system that can be fitted to regular cars.

A native of Taif province, his passion for technology started at a young age through attempts to customize video games – including hacking his Xbox 360.

Since 2015, he has focused on autonomous driving technology — self-driving systems powered by AI. In 2023, the results of his efforts became apparent when he launched the first autopilot system in the Kingdom.

Al-Khaldi and his team – in collaboration with their partner, California startup Comma.ai – have developed an open-source software that runs the system, allowing drivers to install a driver-assist feature. The software enables the car to drive itself on motorways, stay in one lane and keep a safe distance from the car in front and follow the vehicle immediately ahead in traffic without human assistance.

“It took me about five years to develop a device that records vehicle data to analyze it and add more advanced safety and smart driving systems to existing vehicles on the market,” Al-Khaldi told Arab News.

“Yes, it is made in collaboration with our partner in the USA, but we have upgraded our own version and it has more functions. So you can say it is ‘made in Saudi Arabia’ by a very intelligent Saudi Arabian team,” he added.

Although the base technology, Open Pilot, was developed by Comma.ai, Al-Khaldi explained that his version has been significantly developed to adapt to local needs, expanding compatibility to work with more than 64 car models not supported by the original.

The Saudi programmer also developed the autonomous driver technology to operate at low speeds, improving its efficiency in the stop-start traffic common in the Gulf region.

He explained that the self-driving device “leverages AI and remote sensing technology to continuously analyze and understand the vehicle’s surroundings.”

The device has been on the Saudi market for about a year and a half and approximately 500 have been sold, according to Al-Khaldi.

“In addition to our presence in the Saudi market, we have also exported our device – which can be adapted to almost any modern car – to the United States, Europe, Africa and other parts of the Arab world,” he added.

Arab News joined 29-year-old Al-Khaldi to experience the driver assistance system installed in his Toyota Highlander. We started the trip on the highway north of Jeddah.

The results were impressive. From the driver’s seat, with his hands off the wheel, Al-Khaldi said: “At this point, our (system) can handle all types of curves. On the highway, you can drive for hours without user intervention. I drove straight from Taif to Jeddah on curvy, hilly roads without any user intervention.”

Al-Khaldi said the system integrates multiple components to provide “a safe and efficient autonomous driving experience” that controls steering, acceleration and braking. It uses open source AI technology, trained on over 100 million miles and able to adapt to a variety of driving conditions.

“The system relies on high-resolution cameras and radar sensors to detect road lanes, track nearby vehicles and analyze data in real time. This analysis helps prevent collisions and ensures the vehicle stays in its lane,” he explained.

“One of our customers who lives in the US installed our device in his car and recently he lost consciousness while driving down a long highway on his way to another state and the car drove itself for two hours, until he woke up. He later sent us a message expressing his thanks for our device’s reliability,” he added. “After this event, the system received an improved security update. Now, if the driver’s eyes remain fixed and unresponsive, signaling potential loss of consciousness, the system prompts the driver to touch the steering wheel, providing an extra layer of safety during medical emergencies such as seizures or sudden loss of consciousness.”

According to the American website Consumer Reports, Open Pilot is currently the most advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) on the market.

Al-Khaldi and his team are now investigating ways to tailor the system to different levels of driving experience. “I think we will find better ways to do it that will be simpler and give more users access to the technology,” he said.

Al-Khaldi envisions a future where AI drives self-driving cars across the kingdom. He said: “Saudi Arabia has an ambitious vision that includes artificial intelligence technologies. Self-driving has become one of the most important AI tools.”