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The last layer of the autonomous car is the ability to take all

of the information it gathers and translate that into meaning-

ful action, such as applying the brakes or making a turn. The

computerized systems that translate such inputs already exist

in most modern cars. The difference is that in current cars the

input is provided by a human, whereas in autonomous cars the

input will be data-driven.

The final push that may be needed to get self-driving cars from

prototype tomass-market is real-time car-to-car communication.

While radars and sensors in current vehicles canhelp a self-driver

avoid accidents, the technology involved is very short-range and

somewhat limited. For example, a sensor may be able to detect

if a car is crossing into another lane or is about to hit a vehicle

It’s not just Google. High-end car manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz are looking into

ways to make their cars autonomous, as shown at this car show.

Technology and Information Technology

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