Forget the Driverless Future. Get Ready to Physically Merge With a Car Called the Roadable Synapse

In the future, they say, cars will drive themselves. You'll call a roving robo-taxi, tell it where you want to go, and check out mentally in the back seat. People will be human cargo--as unengaged in the journey as a smiley-faced Amazon box awaiting delivery. Driverless vehicles are the logical conclusion of megatrends--the century-old march of automation, perfected by artificial intelligence. Carmakers and tech giants are racing to get on board. In the media, autonomous cars are no longer the answer to a question but the starting premise.