Of Killer Robots and Self-Driving Cars

Between Hype and Hysteria Hardly any technology topic elicits such strong reactions as autonomous systems. Some dream of a world where machines relieve us of tedious tasks. Others fear losing control over our own creations. What are Autonomous Systems? Autonomous systems are machines that can make decisions and perform actions independently. The spectrum ranges from: Robot vacuum cleaners: Simple navigation and obstacle detection Selfdriving cars: Complex realtime decisions Drones: Autonomous flight control and object recognition Industrial robots: Flexible manufacturing without human intervention The Opportunities Safety Human error causes 94% of all traffic accidents. Autonomous vehicles don't get tired, distracted, or drunk. Efficiency Autonomous systems work around the clock, make no m