Watch a self-driving car learn to navigate narrow European streets like a human driver

Over more than a decade, self-driving vehicles have logged millions of miles on roadways across the globe. Despite all that driving, researchers say, the machines are still unable to replicate the sophisticated problem-solving and spontaneity human drivers employ each time they get behind the wheel. In their ambitious attempt to create an autonomous car service, companies like Waymo run their software through millions of potential scenarios, create three-dimensional maps using lasers, and outfit their vehicles powerful sensors like LIDAR that can cost more than the cars they guide. The goal is to prepare the vehicle for anything it might encounter before it touches the road, creating a system of rules that predetermine behavior. Now, an upstart British company called Wayve claims to have created a self-driving car using technology that almost sounds Stone Age compared to the competition.