Autonomous automobiles, AKA self-driving cars, encompass a wide array of advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), sensors and automation. These systems enable vehicles to navigate, detect and respond to their environment without human intervention. They rely on various sensors such as cameras, lidar, radar, GPS, networking technologies and much more to perceive the vehicle's surroundings, making real-time decisions to operate safely and efficiently.
However, these impressive systems remain future vision. Even today's most advanced examples require a human monitor or a closely regulated environment, or both.
Nonetheless, electronics and automotive engineers continue to push the technological frontier so that one day, likely in the next couple of decades, everyone will be a passenger.
Here's where many of these essential technologies stand today.
- Self-driving buses that go wherever you want? How the UK is trying to revolutionize public transport
- Eyes on the road: How cars assess driver safety
- The security landscape of autonomous vehicles
- Who's at fault when self-driving cars make mistakes?
- Driverless cars could be a revolution for people with disabilities – but they also have good reason to be worried
