Abstract

Automatic steering has been a hot topic in recent years. Google has emerged as a major contender throwing the automobile industry off tilt; and effective communication campaigns have attracted the attention of the public. But automatic vehicles have existed for years now. So does all this amount to a buzz set off by a major Web player, or does it signal that what was a possibility has reached maturity? Will such vehicles soon be running on our roads? Automatic steering techniques and their degree of maturity are presented so as to measure what has been accomplished and what is still to be done. Attention is then turned to their legal and economic consequences. This article serves as a brief introduction to a controversial topic, which is well worth understanding.