An autonomous car, also known as robotic or informally as driverless, is an autonomous vehicle capable of fulfilling the human transportation capabilities of a traditional car. As an autonomous vehicle, it is capable of sensing its environment and navigating on its own. A human may choose a destination, but is not required to perform any mechanical operation of the vehicle.
Autonomous cars are not in widespread use, but their introduction could produce several direct advantages:
- Fewer crashes, due to the autonomous system's increased reliability compared to human drivers
- Increased roadway capacity due to reduced need of safety gaps and the ability to better manage traffic flow.
- Relief of vehicle occupants from driving and navigation chores.
- Removal of constraints on occupant's state - it would not matter if the occupants were too young, too old or if their frame of mind were not suitable to drive a traditional car. Furthermore, disabilities would no longer matter.
- Elimination of redundant passengers - humans are not required to take the car anywhere, as the robotic car can drive empty to wherever it is required.
Indirect advantages are anticipated as well. Adoption of robotic cars could reduce the number of vehicles worldwide, reduce the amount of space required for vehicle parking, and reduce the need for traffic police and vehicle insurance.
Autonomous vehicles sense the world with such techniques as laser, radar, lidar, GPS and computer vision. Advanced control systems interpret the information to identify appropriate navigation paths, as well as obstacles and relevant signage. Autonomous vehicles typically update their maps based on sensory input, such that they can navigate through uncharted environments.
Autonomous vehicles are only legal to operate on public roads in one jurisdiction in the world: the U.S. state of Nevada. The law to authorize the use of autonomous vehicles was passed in June 2011, with the support of Google. The Google driverless car is one of the leading projects in this field.
