Software for Self-Driving Cars -- No GPS Necessary

Oxbotica, a company spun off from the Oxford University Mobile Robotics Group in the United Kingdom, has developed software that allows driverless vehicles to get around--even when there's no GPS to be found. The software relies on a unit within the vehicle that has two stereo cameras that look a bit like Wall-E eyes and two laser scanners like stubby antennae. These gather data about the vehicle's environment; the software then creates 3D point clouds to map everything around the vehicle. The software, called Selenium, was designed to work with any vehicle's sensors and safety systems. It can use the 3D maps it creates to perform tasks autonomously, like navigating and braking.