Google might have their own driverless car (which has gotten into an accident before, by the way), but German automaker BMW is working on the first fully automated car, where their prototype is capable of automated driving without the need for any driver input. However, this prototype is not fully cognizant of all that is going around, so we will just have to lump it in the “highly automated” category. You will still need to have an alert driver inside to take over from the automated system as and when the need arises. This automated system will work only on highways which the designers have fully mapped out for the ride in advance.
This is definitely a major leap forward, and a bunch of different non-intrusive sensors such as radar, cameras, lasers, and ultrasound are thrown into the final build to help it know where it is on the road in relation to everything else around. Should there be a slow-moving car vehicle occupying the same lane as BMW’s smart ride, it will be able to make the necessary adjustments and overtake it in a legal and safe manner. The vehicle even knows the posted speed limits, so you need not worry about getting a ticket. To date, it has logged more than 5,000 km of on-road experience, and things can only get better from here. Enjoy the video above.