Advancing toward driverless cars

Autonomous-driving technology is set to revolutionize the auto industry. But getting to a true “driverless” future will be an iterative process based on merging numerous individual innovations.

One of the most prominent recent developments in the automotive industry is the introduction of autonomous “driverless” technology, which is sure to create a revolution in the transportation sector. Although it remains early in the development and commercialization process, several factors can be identified for consideration before adopting driverless technology.

An autonomous vehicle (widely referred to as a “driverless” vehicle, “self-driving” vehicle or “robotic” or “robo” vehicle) can sense its environment and navigate without human input. Many types of autonomous vehicles are being developed by nearly every major automaker, but as of early 2017, automated cars permitted on public roads were not yet fully autonomous: they all require a human driver at the wheel who is ready at a moment's notice to take control of the vehicle.