I WAS PROMISED FLYING CARS: the current status of autonomous vehicles

THOUGH FLYING CARS SEEM UNLIKELY TO BECOME REALITY ANYTIME SOON, DRIVERLESS VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY IS IMPROVING MORE QUICKLY THAN YOU MIGHT EXPECT.

WHETHER IT WAS FLYING CARS or jetpacks, we were all promised a compelling vision of the future at some point in our childhoods. And, although it may seem like science fiction, autonomous vehicles-cars that drive themselves-are more than just a promise; they are a growing reality.

The widespread coverage in October 2010 of Google's fleet of Toyota Priuses that continue to navigate the highways of California was a clear message to the world that this technology is fact not fiction. With the passing of legislation that will likely allow autonomous vehicles to roam state roadways by March 2012, Nevada recently reinforced this message. Questions remain however as to whether or not the world and the marketplace are ready for this technology.