There was a time when no one could imagine a driverless car would ever exist. But gradually, what we once thought was impossible has become a reality. The first autonomous cars are now commercially available! Although Leonardo da Vinci developed the self-propelled carriage in the 15th century, it was in the 20th century that the concept was realized. When Google announced in 2009 that it would start researching unmanned cars, the idea became even more attractive. Currently, several well-known companies are looking into developing semi-autonomous and fully driverless cars, which could result in significantly fewer traffic accidents.

An Apple employee suspected of stealing trade secrets faces 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 after the company reportedly found their intellectual property on his personal hard drive. Jizhong Chen is the second Chinese national working on their autonomous project to be accused of the crime in six months, after Xiaolang Zhang was arrested by FBI last July. Now electrical engineer Chen is in hot water after Apple Global Security allegedly discovered'over two thousand files containing confidential and proprietary Apple material, including manuals, schematics, and diagrams' about Project Titan. Materials allegedly found on his device include an'assembly drawing of an Apple-designed wiring harness for an autonomous vehicle' as part of their Project Titan Approximately one hundred photographs taken from within the California Apple building and containing information on the driverless car project were allegedly stored on his computer. Employees said he allowed them to search his device after a fellow worker caught Chen taking pictures in an area that was deemed sensitive, NBC Bay Area reported.

Britain risks losing pole position in the race to develop driverless cars if there is a crackdown on immigration after Brexit, say experts. Restricting the flow of skilled workers will damage Government hopes of the UK becoming a world leader in a key industry of the future, according to a report by Oxford University. It claims that firms developing the technology will be forced to move abroad instead. The warning is a blow to Chancellor Philip Hammond, who highlighted driverless vehicles and robotics as a priority in this month's Budget. Oxford University's driverless car project is at risk It is just one of many dire predictions of a'brain drain' as Britain leaves the European Union and the Government tries to cut net annual migration to under 100,000.