Look Ma, no driver

Unmanned vehicles evolve quickly as processors, sensors improve performance.

Driverless vehicles are moving from the realm of science fiction into several fields. The rapid evolution of sensors, processors, and software is making unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) viable in applications as diverse as mining and battlefields.

Autonomous aircraft have helped drive this advance as has the widespread use of very small UGVs that perform surveillance and reconnaissance missions and move or detonate explosive devices. Larger vehicles that can carry half a ton of gear or even larger quantities of ore are seeing much broader use.