Most people have known about this one for a while, but the novelty of the idea still stands. They're cars that drive without human intervention, so finally, we can emulate Arnie in Total Recall, Sly in Demolition Man, or Batman in the Batmobile. Ok, so the Lexus SUVs that are currently being tested on the roads of Mountain View, California aren't quite as awesome as the retro-futuristic vehicles just mentioned, but we can worry about their design later. Using sensors that can detect objects several hundred feet in every direction around the vehicle, the car dynamically adapts to the many scenarios we face on roads - such as road works, cyclists and rail crossings. To navigate its way around on the bigger scale, the car uses GPS and digital maps far more advanced than those we use in Google Maps. They're already being tested on the roads around Mountain View, and have had 14 minor accidents to date. But ever the optimists, Google said that all the accidents were caused by human error, which they're using as evidence that driverless cars are actually safer than human-driven cars (slick turn-around, Google). Testing the cars has been a success so far, and several US states have already passed legislation allowing them to be used on roads. It'll be some years yet before they become commercially available, but things are definitely going in that direction.
Gamer, Researcher of strange things.
I'm a writer-editor hybrid whose writings on video games, technology and movies can be found across the internet. I've even ventured into the realm of current affairs on occasion but, unable to face reality, have retreated into expatiating on things on screens instead.
