What with the likes of Google's self-drive car and Volvo's SARTRE road train, autonomous cars are becoming more sophisticated -- not to mention potentially more feasible -- all the time.
But while many motorists welcome the idea of sitting back with a newspaper while the car does all the work, just as many drivers bemoan the fact that the joy of driving will be lost if autonomous cars take over completely.
Well, as it turns out, they needn't worry, as BMW has developed technology which puts the fun back into autonomous driving.
The German manufacturer has shown off two self-driving cars which can drift around bends. The two cars -- a 2-Series Coupe and a 6-Series Coupe -- can perform flawless powerslides without any driver intervention, allowing occupants to sit back and enjoy a full-bore, pedal-to-the-metal lap.
The cars use a 360-degree radar and lidar (laser radar, in case you were wondering) along with ultrasonic sensors and cameras to assess their surroundings. Thanks to the cars' integrated lateral and longitudinal control systems, BMW claims that the cars are immune to under- and oversteer (or not, in this case) and can even react to hydroplaning.
BMW has developed the system to prove that self-driving cars are safer than traditional cars not just in everyday driving, but also when they're being driven on the raggedy edge.
The company aims to have self-driving cars production ready by 2020.
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