DRIVERLESS cars were wheeled out for their first public trial in the UK in a “ground-breaking moment” yesterday.
Passengers experienced the premiere trip of the autonomous electric vehicles developed by Oxford University, on the pavements of Milton Keynes.
It is hoped the tests will clear the way for cars that operate without human control to make their way on to UK roads.
The two-seater pods, which are similar to Smart cars in appearance, are versions of the Lutz Pathfinder, the UK’s first driverless car.
They operate at speeds of up to 15mph without human assistance and follow routes from virtual maps.
They sense their surroundings using cameras and Lidar, a system similar to radar created by the university, which uses light from a laser.
Business Secretary Greg Clark said: “The global market for autonomous vehicles presents huge opportunities for our automotive and technology firms.
“And the research that underpins the technology and software will have applications way beyond autonomous vehicles.”
But concerns have been raised about road gestures for emergency vehicles being forgotten as the new cars take to the roads.
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