URBANA, Ill. (AP) – The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is creating a new center to focus on autonomous technology such as self-driving cars and robotic assistants.

The university has allocated $2.1 million for the Center for Autonomy. The College of Engineering is providing another $2.1 million to recruit new robotics faculty.

Professor Geir Dullerud is director of the new center. He says it will play an important role in designing systems that function without human intervention, in a way that’s reliable and safe.

Dullerud notes there’s been progress in developing autonomous technology such as self-driving cars. But he says “there’s a difference between a self-driving car that works most of the time and a self-driving car that works all of the time.”

The center will provide increased experimental space for autonomy and robotics research.