An autonomous car developed by Michigan-based auto supplier Delphi Automotive will soon be making a 3,500-mile journey across the U.S. A person will sit behind the wheel at all times but won't touch it unless there's a situation the car can't handle. The car will mainly stick to highways.

Companies both inside and outside the auto industry are experimenting with technologies that take more and more responsibilities away from the driver - right up to the act of actually driving the car. Most experts say a true driverless vehicle is at least a decade away.

Delphi plans to show off one of several versions of the car - an Audi Q5 crossover outfitted with laser sensors, radar and multiple cameras - on Saturday at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. The official car will start its journey March 22 in San Francisco and arrive in New York a little more than a week later.